One-shots- Reader Requests
by Mooneater8044
Summary: Leave requests. Basically, just a series of one-shots that have been requested by you, lovely readers. All revolving around Sans, Papyrus and the rest of the Undertale characters. So... go ahead!
1. Thunder Storm

_**Alright, so this was requested from a friend of mine and they wanted a few short stories. So… I guess you guys can request some short stories and oneshots. This is the first one. XD.**_

 _ **Basically there are no thunderstorms in the Underground. But on the surface… Yeah and Sans and Papyrus don't take it too well.**_

 _ **Request some more stories and I'll do my best!**_

* * *

"Take care of Frisk, alright?" Toriel said as she straightened Asriel's hair. "Make sure they're in bed before eight."

"Right." Sans muttered, his skull hitting the back of the sofa. "Uh-huh…"

"Don't give them any soda before bed. And no chocolate, either."

"Uh-huh…" Sans muttered, glancing at Asriel, who was dressed in a very smart tuxedo. Sans sniggered and waved Asriel over. "Hey, kiddo, I got you something."

"What is it, Sans?" Asriel asked, looking thoroughly disgruntled.

"I got ya a banana." Sans sniggered. "For your **_monkey suit._** "

Asriel's cheeks were coloured a bright red under his fur and Toriel giggled. Papyrus, who was busy in the kitchen, poked his head out the doorway, his eyes burning with rage. "SANS… STOP."

Sans sniggered and Asriel stomped off to his mother, who proceeded to run a comb through the top of his head. "Sans, are you sure that Frisk and Papyrus won't like to come along? I'm sure you'd enjoy it."

"Nah, Tori. It's cool." Sans waved a hand and then gave her a wink. "I'll watch 'em. No need to worry. Besides, Papyrus and I aren't really a fan of these royal guard things."

"Neither am I." Asriel muttered, but Toriel yanked a knot out of his fur and he winced. She gave him a withering look before picking up her purse. "Your father will be around shortly." She muttered a little sourly. "Now, let's say goodbye to Frisk."

Frisk, as if on cue, appeared at the top of the stairs, smiling and dressed in their skeleton pyjamas. They rushed downstairs and jumped into Toriel's arms, hugging her tightly. Toriel laughed and kissed the top of Frisk's head. "We'll be back after midnight, dear. Luckily for you the ambassador doesn't have to come along, or you'd be just as bored as your brother."

"Can't I stay with Frisk?" Asriel moaned, tugging at the collar of his shirt. "It's gonna suck."

"Language." Toriel warned him. "And you must come, Asriel. It'll help you when you become an official one day."

Asriel stalked to the door and Toriel giggled. "Have fun, you three! And say hello to Gaster for me when he comes back!"

"Sure thing, Tori!" Sans said, smiling. Frisk clambered over the couch and landed solidly on Sans' ribcage. He huffed out a grunt and sniggered, patting Frisk's head. "Sup, twerp? You hungry?"

Frisk nodded.

"Welp… Gaster's gonna be here in a minute, then we can eat."

"SANS, WHAT'S A THUNDERSTORM?"

Sans glanced toward the kitchen, frowning. "A… what?"

"THUNDERSTORM!" Papyrus repeated, striding out of the kitchen in his apron. "WHAT IS IT?"

Sans scratched his skull. "Uh… It's a… uh…" He glanced at Frisk, who was blinking in surprise. Then a massive grin crossed their face.

 ** _There aren't any storms in the Underground?_**

"Uh… snow storms, yeah, but that's mainly from the winds that pass through the caverns." Sans shrugged. "I read about 'em, but uh… yeah… never really had one."

Frisk shrugged. **_They're something. The whole sky lights up._**

"REALLY?!" Papyrus asked, leaning on the couch. "WOWIE! SANS! WE MUST BE OUTSIDE WHEN THIS HAPPENS!"

Frisk immediately shook their head. **_We'll get wet._**

Sans shrugged again. "Well… let's watch some mindless television while we wait for Gaster."

Mettaton had acquired several shows whilst on the surface. There was now Cooking With a Killer Robot; The Forbidden Love of A Human and A Monster, the sequel. It was enough to pass the time with. A few hours later, it began to rain. Sans glanced outside as the door opened and Gaster stepped inside, shaking himself like a wet dog.

 ** _Stars. It's pouring out there._** He shook his head and dumped his briefcase off to the side as Frisk jumped up to meet him. **_Hello, child._** He signed happily, picking Frisk up and ruffling their hair. **_I'm quite excited; I hear thunderstorms are spectacular. Superheated air crashing and meshing to create a reaction so strong that it just-_**

"Hey, pops. Mind explaining what a thunderstorm is?" Sans said, looking more confused than ever.

 ** _Ah, yes. Well, Sans, a thunderstorm is a… well, a storm. It's a state of the earth's atmosphere, a disturbed state in which clouds gather and the air is charged. This causes lightning. It's quite spectacular, Sans. You'd be fascinated. There's even some fog outside._**

Sans cracked a smile. "So… When the fog burns off it won't be **_mist._** "

"SANS! OH MY GOD!" Papyrus slumped over the couch and picked Sans up, shaking him by the shoulders. "NO MORE PUNS!"

"Sorry, bro." Sans sniggered. "I just hear that lightning storms can be very **_striking._** "

Papyrus left the room, dumping Sans on the coffee table. Sans snorted with laughter and Gaster shook his head. **_Oh, Sans._** He sighed, patting Frisk on the head and placing them on the sofa as he passed. **_I'll help Papyrus with dinner; you two must behave._**

"Don't worry, G." Sans said as Frisk giggled. "We won't take you by **_storm._** We'll just **_blow_** away all of your expectations."

"SANS!"

* * *

The storm came shortly after, as the three of them were sitting at the table and eating spaghetti. Sans was sleeping, skull thrown back and his snores echoing in the relatively empty house.

 ** _So, child, how have you been?_**

Frisk began to answer when all of a sudden, the power went out. Papyrus let out a high-pitched scream and Sans jerked awake at the noise.

"Whoa!" He exclaimed. "Who turned out the lights?"

 ** _That must be the storm._** Gaster signed, his glowing blue hands illuminating his skull. **_I shall retrieve some candles._**

"GAH! DON'T LEAVE US! IT'S SO DARK!" Papyrus whimpered, groping around in the dark. "SANS! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

"I'm right here, bro."

"OH MY GOD, SOMETHING TOUCHED MY FOOT!"

"Bro. You just stepped on my face."

"OH."

 ** _Calm down, Papyrus. It's perfectly normal for the power to go out. Frisk? Where are you?_**

Frisk was giggling and followed Gaster to one of the cupboards, where he began to light candles and place them around the house.

 ** _Now… where have Sans and Papyrus gone off to?_** He glanced out the window, where there was a small flash of lightning and a clap of thunder. There was some screaming in the house and Gaster winced, picking up Frisk. **_Well… it begins._**

"GASSSSSTTTTEEERRRRRRR!" Came the distressed cry.

Gaster's face twisted into a form of utter confusion. **_Uh… there's Papyrus…_**

"GASSSSSTTTTEEERRRRRRR!" Papyrus came screaming around the corner of the passageway and Gaster was bowled over, sending Frisk flying. "OH MY GOD WE'RE GOING TO DIE! THE SKY'S TAKING PICTURES OF US!"

 ** _Papyrus… please. Get off my ribs._**

"BUT GASTER!" Papyrus whimpered as Frisk giggled wildly on the floor. Gaster eventually got to his feet, Papyrus still clinging to Gaster like a frightened child. "THERE'S BRIGHT FLASHES OF LIGHT IN THE SKY! WE NEED TO HIDE!"

 ** _No, Papyrus, we do not need to hide._** Gaster heaved a sigh and patted Papyrus on the back. **_Now, where's Sans?_**

There was a loud crash from outside and the sound of a gaster blaster getting ready for a blast. There was a bright flash of blue outside and Gaster's eye sockets went wide. He glanced back over at Frisk, who had frozen in their spot before slowly turning to face Papyrus. **_Is your brother outside?_**

"HE IS PROTECTING THE HOUSE FROM THE BRIGHT FLASHES!" Papyrus moaned, curled tightly around Gaster. "GASTER, DO NOT FEAR! THE G-GREAT PAPYRUS SHALL-" There was a bright flash of lightning and a loud clap of thunder. "OH GOD KILL IT SANS!"

There was another blast from outside and the window suddenly shattered. Gaster winced and Frisk stood behind him, clutching his leg.

"Guys it's still there!" Sans yelled, picking himself up from the ground and shaking off broken glass. Gaster blinked several times. **_Sans… did you just… jump through the… window?_**

"No…" Sans mumbled, shaking some glass out of his jacket.

Gaster tapped his foot, one hand on his hip. **_Uh-huh. And… that wasn't a blast from one of your toys, was it?_**

Frisk giggled and signed in the dark, their hands barely visible. **_It's just thunder._**

As if on cue, there was another flash of lightning and the thunder rattled the windows. When the light faded, Sans was nowhere to be seen. Frisk blinked and looked around as Papyrus clutched Gaster.

"IT TOOK SANS!"

 ** _No._** Gaster said, bending down and peering under the sofa. **_There he is._**

Frisk went down on their hands and knees and saw Sans' glowing blue eye, illuminating his terrified face as he hid under the furniture. His bones were rattling and he glanced around frantically.

 ** _Sans… come out from under the furniture._** Gaster said, holding out his hand. Frisk held out their hand as well, smiling.

"Uh… I…" Sans stuttered, his bones rattling loudly in fear as Papyrus clutched Gaster. "C-can't. I'm… uh… s-stuck."

Frisk blinked before they began to giggle. The giggle then devolved into laughter and soon they were doubled over, the rain hammering on the rooftop. Sans glowered at Frisk, but another flash of lightning caused him to jump and he drew the strings of his hoodie, hiding his face.

"SANS!" Papyrus called, clambering onto Gaster's shoulders. Gaster huffed a sigh and waved his hand. A large, formidable blaster with massive teeth and glowing purple eyes appeared, shaking itself before it flipped the sofa over. The blaster picked Sans up by his jacket and Sans barely struggled, his bones rattling so loud that Frisk felt sorry for him.

 ** _Sans. The thunder is merely a sound. It cannot harm you._**

Sans was still under his hoodie and couldn't see what Gaster had said, but Papyrus spoke up, sounding surprised. "IT CAN'T? BUT IT'S SO LOUD!"

 ** _Yes, son. It is loud, but it cannot harm us. And the lightning is actually quite beautiful, if you would let me show you._**

"BEAUTIFUL?" Papyrus enquired as the blaster set Sans gently on the carpet. Frisk walked up to him and patted his head comfortingly as Gaster extricated Papyrus from his shoulders.

 ** _Yes. Now, why don't you get some tea? I'll go upstairs and prepare us a… well, a viewing balcony._**

Sans only moved when Gaster and his blaster disappeared upstairs. His bones shook and Frisk hugged him tightly as Papyrus bent down to make sure his brother was alright.

"ARE YOU OK, BROTHER?"

Sans took a shaky breath. "Y-yeah." He said in a shaky voice. "S-sorry. Just… it reminds me of…" He shuddered and Papyrus flopped down to sit next to him.

"WHAT IS IT, BROTHER?"

Frisk glanced at Sans, seeing a blue tear creep to his eye socket. Frisk held him tightly and he sniffed. "Yeah… H—hey, Pap, why don't you get some tea…"

"RIGHT ON IT, BROTHER!" Papyrus said, leaping to his feet and diving toward the kitchen. "I SHALL MAKE THE BEST TEA EVER! DO NOT FEAR, BROTHER! THIS TEA SHALL BE AMAZING!"

Sans smiled a little in response. He glanced at Frisk, then sighed. "Sorry, kiddo. Just never been this scared since… well… since…"

 ** _You don't have to tell me._** Frisk said, signing and smiling in a comforting manner. **_I know… it reminds you of our fight, doesn't it?_**

Sans heaved a sigh and drew the strings of his hoodie again, hiding his face. "Yeah… I guess. It just sounds like… When I-"

 ** _Wanna help Papyrus with the tea?_** Frisk asked, getting to their feet. **_He might burn down the kitchen._**

Sans smiled. "Yeah… I wouldn't want to **_tea_** that."

"SANS!"

After making a large pot of tea, Sans, Papyrus and Frisk mounted the stairs. Sans wasn't shaking as much, but his eye sockets were completely black and he still shuddered when the lightning and thunder struck. Papyrus, however, seemed happier to know that it couldn't hurt him or his brother, and practically ran up the steps with the tea pot.

"COME ON, FRISK! SANS! HURRY UP!"

They eventually reached Gaster's room, which was strewn with blueprints, papers and other forms of stationery. Gaster, however, was nowhere to be seen.

"GASTER?" Papyrus called, glancing around.

 ** _Over here, Papyrus._** His glowing blue hands signed near the end of the room. Gaster appeared, smiling widely. **_Now, shall we begin? Everyone come stand here and lock hands._**

Sans hesitated, but Frisk tugged on his jacket and he finally complied, grumbling to himself. Gaster held hands with Frisk and papyrus, Frisk holding Sans' hand tightly. Gaster's hands began to glow a bright purple and there was the gut-wrenching feeling of teleportation.

Eventually, after a few seconds, they were all sitting in what appeared to be a oddly-shaped room. After a few seconds, Frisk let out a squeal of surprise.

 ** _Ah, it appears Frisk has got it._** Gaster said, smiling.

They were inside the maw of a large gaster blaster, which was at least three times the size of a normal blaster. Sans' eye sockets went wide and he glanced around.

"Uh… is this safe?"

Gaster shrugged.

There was a bright flash of lightning, but no thunder. Frisk jumped to their feet and ran to what was the blaster's eye socket, staring out into the rain. **_Sans, you have to see this!_** They signed frantically, bouncing on their feet.

"WOWIE! LET ME SEE, HUMAN!" Papyrus rushed to Frisk's side, bouncing on the heels of his feet and staring outside. There was another strike of lightning and Papyrus squealed in happiness.

"OH MY GOD! SANS! YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS! IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL!"

"Y-yeah." Sans chattered, his bones rattling even harder. Frisk glanced back at him as Gaster, who was sitting calmly by the teeth, cracked open one eye.

 ** _Sans… it cannot harm you._** Gaster signed, glancing toward Frisk and Papyrus. **_Would you… like me to show you?_**

"I'm q-quite g-good, G." Sans stuttered, pulling on the strings of hoodie. "Uh… how high up are we?"

 ** _Not too high. Maybe a hundred feet._**

"T-that all?"

 ** _Above the clouds._**

"Oh god."

"SANS! COME LOOK AT THIS! THE CLOUDS ARE SO PRETTY!"

"I think I'm gonna be sick, bro." Sans wheezed. Gaster stood and calmly strode to Sans, holding out his hand. Sans glanced up into Gaster's eye sockets before sighing and taking his hand. Gaster led him calmly to the eye socket, whilst he stood trembling.

They were high above the clouds and below them was spectacular lightshow. Gaster smiled pleasantly and Frisk bounced excitedly on their feet. Sans had to admit… it was pretty.

"It's… uh… pretty **_shocking._** " Sans said nervously.

"SANS!" Papyrus snapped before picking Sans up so he could get a better view. "LOOK! IT'S LIKE A MOVIE! BUT… WITH DANGEORUS LIGHTS."

Gaster chuckled and Frisk glanced up at Sans before reaching up and clasping his hand. Sans squeezed back, smiling nervously. The lighting reminded him of killing Frisk, over and over again in the Judgement Hall, but if they were smiling… then they weren't thinking about it. Sans squeezed their hand and watched the lightning, grinning widely.

"Hey, hey Papyrus." He sniggered as Papyrus hauled him a little higher. "Waddya call it when it rains chickens and ducks?"

"SANS. I AM NOT GOING TO REPLY TO THAT." Papyrus said, Gaster snickering behind him.

"Aw, c'mon, bro. Please?"

Papyrus heaved a large sigh. "FINE. WHAT DO YOU CALL IT?"

"You call it **_fowl_** weather."

"THAT WAS A TERRIBLE JOKE."

But he was smiling, and so was Frisk. Gaster eventually sent the blaster back to the house and they all went to bed. However, Sans stayed up a little later than normal, just to watch the lightning and cross off another day on his calendar. He'd originally bought it to see how long Frisk would last before they did another reset.

Now it was just used to cross off good and bad days.

So far... most of them were good.


	2. An Old Friend

_**Yeah, so someone was kinda upset about Chara being left alone in Rookwood Road.**_

 _ **I hope this makes up for it. XD**_

* * *

Mount Ebott was quiet now that there were no monsters living around it. Most had gone to the surface. The ones who had chosen to stay were quietly waiting for a sign to move on from the home they'd known for so long. Some, but not all… Just couldn't leave.

There was a sudden, abrupt noise of teleportation near Hotland, in front of Alphys' old lab. Sans, Gaster, Alphys and Frisk all stood in front of the old lab, shaking off the snow from outside.

"What'd I say?" Sans said smugly, shaking off the snow before it could turn to water and ruin his jacket. "Got it on the first try."

Alphys looked sick and squealed as she jumped away from the edge of the cliff, shaking so hard her scales rustled dryly. "T-thank you S-Sans." She stuttered, failing to mention that Sans had teleported the small entourage so close to the edge that Gaster had to grab Frisk before they fell into the molten magma.

 ** _Yes, well… I am interested to see how you've repurposed my lab, Alphys_**. Gaster signed as he calmly set Frisk down beside him. **_I do hope you haven't put too many posters of that… Cartoon-type stuff all over my workspace._**

Alphys blushed a deep pink and tucked her tail between her legs in a form of apology. "U-uh n-not too m-much… Just… D-don't g-go upstairs."

Gaster sighed, pressing his fingers to his skull. **_I thought as much. Come; let me evaluate the damage._**

"I gotta check out our old house in Snowdin." Sans said, patting Frisk on the shoulder. "And the kiddo here wants to get something for Toriel."

Frisk nodded, smiling a little and shouldering their backpack. Sans was lying, which Frisk had asked him to do, since Gaster knew immediately if Frisk was lying. The truth was that Frisk had someone to visit. Sans wasn't too happy about that, but he knew that it was something that Frisk had to do.

 ** _Of course._** Gaster glanced toward the elevator that led to the core and his eyes seemed to glow a little. **_Ah… I hear the core is still running. And it sounds just as strong as it did all those years ago. Hmm… I'd like to run some diagnostics… maybe run some tests… create another black hole just to test the variables-_**

"Gaster. No." Sans said, shucking his jacket and slinging it over his elbow. "Welp… the kiddo and I'll be back. Gaster. Don't fall into the damn core again."

 ** _I learned my lesson the first time._** Gaster said, and somehow his hands seemed to do it in a very sassy manner. Sans made a very rude gesture before grabbing Frisk by the shoulder and snapping his fingers. Frisk was giggling as Sans pulled them through another shortcut. It took a moment, but eventually Frisk felt the chilling brush of Snowdin. It had been so long since they'd been in the small town and Sans had obviously not teleported here in a while.

"Oh CRAP!"

Frisk burst into laughter as they sailed straight into a large pile of snow. Sans, however, didn't fare so well. He crashed right through the old window of Grillby's closed bar. He landed inside and there was the sound of something cracking in half. It sounded suspiciously like a table.

"Welp…" Sans called from inside the bar. "I always did make an entrance… hey, kiddo! You alright?"

Frisk giggled as Sans poked his head out of the destroyed window, shaking broken glass off his jacket and out of his skull. "Ow. Damnit… I'm rusty at this, ain't I?"

He smiled as he hopped out of the abandoned bar, helping Frisk out of the snow. He winked as he dumped his jacket on their shoulders. "Wouldn't want ya to catch a cold. Tori'd have my head."

Frisk smiled and waved their backpack in front of him. He heaved a sigh and nodded. "Yeah, yeah… Lemme just get something, ok?" He turned and strode toward his old house, which still had Christmas lights blinking on it. Sans kicked open the door and strode inside. It felt odd to come back to an empty house. It was also almost… sad. It hurt a little to know that Papyrus wasn't in his room, or that the damn television wasn't there. It was completely empty and Sans heaved a sigh.

"Home sweet home." He muttered, mounting the stairs and unlocking the door to his room. That too, was empty. Except for the self-sustaining trash vortex. That, he had decided to leave right where it belonged. However, there was one thing he wanted to take from it. He sighed and snatched a piece of paper from the vortex before sweeping back outside, stuffing it haphazardly in his pocket. He didn't bother to look at it, but it seemed to weigh in his pocket as he stepped outside.

"Alright, kiddo." He said, rubbing his neck. "Let's go see the brat-" He glanced around before blinking several times. Frisk was nowhere to be seen. "Uh… kiddo?"

Something very cold and very wet suddenly landed in his eye socket and he was bowled over. There was a loud burst of laughter and Sans lifted his skull to glower at Frisk, who was hiding behind a snow poff.

"Oh…" Sans said, shaking the snow out of his eye socket. "Do you wanna have a bad time, kiddo?"

Frisk shrieked with laughter and ducked behind the snow poff, disappearing from sight. "Oh… c'mon, kiddo!" Sans called, his eye flaring to life as he scooped up a large snowball. "C'mere! I need my sweet revenge!"

Frisk didn't answer, but another snowball came sailing out the air and Sans caught it with a blue attack, smirking as Frisk poked their head out of the snow poff. "Geeeeeeeett dunked on!" Sans yelled as he tossed the snowball toward their head. It landed square on their forehead and they squealed with laughter as Sans lifted them high, levitating them toward him.

"What's up, kiddo? Besides you, that is." Sans sniggered as he turned Frisk upside down. Frisk giggled and reached out to pat his head. "Alright, alright. What're you doin'?"

 ** _My special attack._** Frisk signed.

"Oh yeah? And what's that?"

They suddenly reached forward and grabbed his skull, planting a kiss between his eyes. Sans yelped and dropped Frisk, stumbling backward before falling himself.

 ** _Surprise!_** Frisk signed, giggling.

"Welp, that's enough harassment for one day, don't ya think?" Sans sighed, getting to his feet and helping Frisk to their feet. "When I go to the new Grillby's I'll tell everyone how a kid managed to beat the great dunkle Sans."

Frisk playfully punched his shoulder and he held out his arm. They latched onto it and he began to walk, Frisk giggling as they were lifted above the snow. "Oh my god, what's on my arm?! We got a naughty Frisk who's in need of some just- ** _ice_**."

Frisk squealed as he scooped up some snow and shoved it into their shirt. Frisk giggled and Sans lifted them up to sit on his shoulders. "Alright, buddy. Let's go."

They walked to the edge of Snowdin before traversing all the way back to the ruins. Sans felt a little naked without his jacket, but Frisk was giggling and that was perfectly fine. He didn't have skin, anyway, so it wasn't like it mattered. Frisk was looking around at the large trees that bordered the pathway, as if remembering the first time that they had met Sans.

As they passed between the large gate that Papyrus had built, Sans couldn't help but admit he too, was feeling a little nostalgic.

"So… you sure you wanna do this? You don't have to…" He mumbled. He then said, very quietly so the kid didn't hear, "They don't deserve it, anyways."

Frisk leaned over and signed in front of his eye sockets. **_You'd do the same for me, right? If I was stuck here forever?_**

"Of course, kiddo… But… You ain't a homicidal maniac." Frisk rapped the top of his skull with their knuckles and he snickered. "Yeah, yeah. Alright… But really, you're great, kiddo. Better than me." Frisk rubbed the top of his skull and he sniggered. "Alright… let's get this over with."

They eventually came to the large door that Sans had previously used for his knock knock jokes. Now there were enormous golden flowers growing all over the walls and peeking out of the doors. Sans glanced around and snickered.

"Hey, kid." He rapped his knuckles on the door. "Knock knock."

 ** _Who's there?_**

"Flower."

 ** _Flower who?_**

" ** _Flower_** you today, sweetheart?" Sans asked, snickering as Frisk burst into happy laughter. Sans shrugged. "'ey, what can I say? Old habits die hard."

The hallways were oddly quiet. The flowers seemed to glow with a bright golden light and the passages were oddly quiet. Eventually they reached the stairs, entering Toriel's old home. It was very quiet and Frisk heaved an almost sad sigh.

"So… this is where Tori lived for so long?" Sans asked as he stepped into the empty house. "It feels so… lonely."

Frisk leaned their chin on his skull as he strode toward the door. It was very dark in the house and Frisk felt sad as they left it once more. It was very empty without all Toriel's books or her carpets. She'd removed them all when they'd all gone to the surface.

It took some time, but eventually Frisk leapt down from Sans' shoulders as they reached the large archway that led to the bed of golden flowers. They looked up at Sans and grabbed his hand, squeezing it tightly. Sans squeezed back and the both of them walked through the archway. It was oddly warm in the large cavern and a bright golden light was filling the room.

There was a large bed of golden flowers in the middle of the cavern, illuminated by a large hole in the ceiling that let in the sunlight. Milling around in said flowers, however, was a child.

Sans grimaced and scratched his skull as he saw Chara. The kid looked sickly, picking buttercups and plucking the petals off. However, every time they picked a flower, ten more grew in its place. The flowers whispered as they grew, and although Sans couldn't hear the words, he suspected that they weren't happy.

Frisk walked forward, dragging Sans behind them as he grumbled under his breath.

Chara turned and Sans cringed even further. They looked _terrible_. Their skin was nearly white and their hair was dishevelled. They blinked several times, their eyes a bloody red. Then they turned abruptly and sat down, as if to ignore the fact that there were people behind them.

Sans scoffed. "C'mon, kid. I don't think the brat's too happy I dunked 'em too hard last time."

Frisk let go of his hand and strode forward, stepping on the flowers as they made their way to Chara. Chara's shoulders shook as Frisk sat down next to them. Sans hesitated before he huffed and turned around. He left the cavern, allowing Frisk to be alone with the dead child.

It was very quiet in the cavern, save for Chara's sniffles. They glowered over at Frisk before crossing their arms over their chest. "What the _hell_ do you want?" They sneered, turning their head to avoid Frisk's eyes.

Frisk merely opened their backpack and set it in front of them. Chara glanced over slightly, looking at what Frisk emptied out of their backpack.

 ** _Asriel wanted to give you this._** They signed, placing a brightly wrapped present in front of Chara. Chara refused to look at it, so Frisk continued.

 ** _Mom also made you this._** They placed another package in front of them. **_She misses you, too._**

Another package. **_This one's from Asgore; he knows how much you like to draw. He says happy birthday, too._**

Chara stiffened, but Frisk merely brought out another package. **_Papyrus made you some spaghetti, but then changed his mind and made you a scarf instead._** They continued to bring out the presents. **_Mettaton made you a shirt. Alphys got you some anime. Undyne got you some golden flower tea. Sans-_**

"STOP IT!" Chara roared, swiping the presents aside and clutching their hair.

Frisk jumped a little as Chara kicked aside the presents and stood, stomping over to another patch of flowers. They sat down heavily and ripped out some more of the bright golden blooms. There was a snap of magical energy and Frisk turned to see Sans hovering a few feet above a pillar, his blue eye flaring.

 ** _It's ok._**

Sans frowned, but his eye flickered a little. Frisk sighed and picked up all the presents, walking over to Chara. Chara's shoulders had started to shake and they were ripping the flowers to shreds. Frisk hesitated, reaching out and patting their shoulders. Chara sniffled and pushed Frisk away.

"Go away, Frisk." They muttered, sniffling. "Honestly. You're an idiot. I'll just… I-I'll just hurt you again."

Frisk reached out again, patting Chara's shoulders. Chara shook their head, ignoring them for the most part. Eventually Chara plucked a golden flower from between their feet and stared at it in anger.

"You know what? Ever since I died I've just been… sitting here. Alone. Asriel stuck around for a little while, but… he couldn't see me. Stupid crybaby…" They crushed the flower in their hand and tossed it over their shoulder. "Then… you came along. And somehow… you could hear me… talking to you…" They glowered over at Frisk before kicking away a present. "Go away, partner; your smiley comedian is just **_itching_** to blast me again."

"Oi, I heard that, brat." Sans snarled from his pillar.

"I know!" Chara snapped. "Go away! I hate you! I hate all of you!" Their hand shot out and knocked Frisk over. Sans teleported immediately, grabbing Frisk and stepping back.

"Touch 'em again, brat, and I'll **_make you wish you hadn't been born._** "

"Too late for that, stupid bonehead." Chara snarled, their eyes burning a bright crimson. "I already wish that. Leave. You're stinking up the place."

Sans' eye flickered a bright azure and he began to tug Frisk away. "C'mon, Frisk. They're just wasting our time."

But Frisk refused. They extricated themselves from his grip and stepped toward Chara. Chara turned away and Sans watched them closely, his hands clenched into a fist. He watched as Frisk shooed him away and he took a step back, slumping against a pillar. He closed his eyes, but Frisk knew he wasn't sleeping.

They sat down next to Chara and set out the presents again. There was even a present from Muffet. Frisk glanced over at Chara, whose shoulders shook violently.

"Go away."

Frisk ignored them and brought out a Tupperware container. Inside was a brick-like cupcake, which was so heavy that it didn't appear to be edible. They set it on the ground in front of Chara and brought out a single candle, which they stuck in the middle.

 ** _Happy birthday._**

Chara glowered at the cupcake before recognition came over their eyes. They blinked several times and they swallowed. "I-Is that…"

 ** _Napstablook helped me bake it. He said it won't taste like normal cake… but you should be able to eat it._**

Chara hesitated before they reached forward and touched the cupcake, shuddering as their hand didn't phase through it.

They sniffed before looking over at Frisk again and crossing their arms. "How'd you know that I can't touch food?"

 ** _Asriel told me._**

Chara sniffed again before looking at the cake. They hesitated before reaching forward and picking up the cake. Frisk leaned over, removing a matchbox from their pocket and lighting the candle. Chara blinked at the light that the candle exuded and they smiled ever so slightly.

"Mo-Toriel used to l-light the candles with her finger…" Chara muttered, staring at the candle flame. "She celebrated our birthdays together. Asriel always wanted to know if he'd grown taller. I just… wanted…"

Their face hardened ever so slightly and they picked off a piece of the cupcake. They popped it in their mouth and their eyes widened. They glanced at Frisk in pure disbelief. "Ch… Chocolate…?"

Frisk nodded and Chara began to slowly eat the cake, eating it as if it were the only meal they'd received in years and they wanted to savour every single bite. Frisk smiled softly and signed to Chara as they removed the candle.

 ** _Make a wish._**

"What?"

 ** _When you blow out the candle, you make a wish._** Frisk explained. **_At least… that's what my parents taught me, before they left me._**

Chara blinked a few times before sighing. "Humans are just stupid and weird." They muttered, but they leaned forward and blew out the candle. It went out quickly and the smoke curled in the sunlight.

Chara set the candle aside and then glanced at Frisk. "Don't you wanna know what I wished for, partner?"

Frisk shook their head. **_It won't come true if other people knew._**

Chara snorted and Sans shuffled in the corner, his one eye socket cracking open ever so slightly. "Really? That's not how wishes work. Everyone hears them in the Underground. You whisper them to the flowers and they just spout it out for everyone else to hear. There's no secrecy here."

Frisk cocked their head to one side before shrugging. **_We all have secrets._** They glanced upward, toward the sunlight. **_Like yours._**

Chara jerked and glowered at Frisk. "What're you-"

 ** _I fell down here because I wanted to die. I wanted to die because I was nothing to my parents and nobody would miss me. But then… I remember you helping me stand up and make my way forward._**

Frisk glanced at Chara, who was shaking. **_Although you won't admit it, you helped me. You were with me when I was hurt. You tried to encourage me. And when Asriel turned into that God of Hyperdeath, you were the one who urged me to save him. Not me… YOU._**

"Shut up." Chara muttered, taking another bite of their cake. "That's not true."

 ** _You erased that timeline. I remember that, too._** Frisk looked up into the sunlight, closing their eyes. **_You were scared. Scared of dying for good. Where I sought death… you were scared of it._**

"Shut up, Frisk!" Chara said, their voice trembling.

 ** _Then I grew bored when you wouldn't talk to me anymore. I started to hurt others. This was new for you. You liked it. You wanted to see what would happen in this timeline. I remember your voice again, encouraging me._**

Chara put the half-eaten cake to one side. "Just keep quiet… Just shut up, damnit!" They said, their voice shaking. "That's enough."

 ** _And when Sans kept on killing me, I had never felt so alone. I wanted to stop. But you wouldn't let me. I'd gone too far. I guess that's another reason why I reset…_** Frisk sighed and rubbed at their eyes, sniffling a little. **_Because I also realised, Chara… I didn't want to die. I wanted to continue.  
I wanted to live in my true, happy ending. I didn't want to have this stupid power anymore. I didn't want to watch Sans give me that look when I met him again at Snowdin. I didn't want anyone to be trapped underground again. I didn't want…_**

They stopped signing and Chara glanced over at them before pushing the remains of the cake toward them. "I'm not hungry anymore." They mumbled.

Frisk wordlessly packed away the cake and placed it in their bag before standing.

 ** _Mom's gonna be worried about me. I wish I could stay longer._**

Chara didn't answer and Frisk hesitated before leaning down and wrapping their arms around them. Chara stiffened before beginning to shake. Then they began to cry. Frisk held them as they let out all the pain and tears they had suffered for so long. They didn't sound like a monster. They didn't sound like a demon who hated humans.

They sounded like a kid.

When they eventually let go, Frisk wiped away their tears and smiled. **_You were my friend, Chara. You still are. I have one last present to show you… if you trust me._**

Chara sniffled, looking down at all the presents that had been given to them. They were from the people that had been slain by their hand. How funny. The very people they'd maimed, killed and destroyed had now given them gifts, celebrating the day of their birth. Chara blinked before glancing over at Sans, who was no longer pretending to be asleep. He was openly staring at them, as if ready to throw a blast if Chara made a wrong move.

Chara glanced at the presents before slowly getting to their feet, rubbing their arm.

"You… you got me a present?"

Frisk smiled and held out their hand. Chara took it. Chara's hand was icy cold it actually hurt to hold, but Frisk held it tightly as they guided Chara toward the edge of the flowerbed. Chara hesitated.

"I can't leave." Chara said, slowing down.

Frisk continued to walk forward. To Chara's surprise, they could pass the border of golden flowers. It was something they'd not been able to do for years, yet they had just done so. Every step they took caused golden flowers to slowly grow from the ground.

Sans huffed as he strolled after Frisk, his eye still getting ready to throw a few femurs right through Chara's body if it came to it. Sans trailed behind the both of them, watching as bright golden flowers sprouted in wake of their footsteps. It was very quiet in Toriel's home, but Chara stopped dead in their tracks. They stared at the dining room table, which now had four chairs sitting around the table. They blinked before lowering their head and following Frisk.

Frisk led them through Snowdin. Then through Waterfall. Chara's eyes were filled with wonder and they stared at the snow in Snowdin, staring at the beautiful snow that continued to fall from the ceiling.

"H-How? I never knew… how?" Chara whispered.

"It's cold." Sans muttered, loathing to speak to this child. "Water forms in the ceiling, then as it falls, it cools so slowly and so gently that it turns to snow."

Chara stared at the snow, tears in their eyes as they passed into Waterfall. It was even more beautiful than Sans remembered. Chara… they seemed to think so as well. Sans didn't think that monsters could feel… the bad kind… but…

The kid was crying.

And they continued to cry, all the way to Hotland. Then as they entered the castle, Chara's tears seemed to stop. It took longer than normal, since they would stop and stare at nearly everything. Even the bricks. It seemed as if they were a new born, getting used to their eyes for the first time. Sans watched them closely, but as if on some unspoken instinct, his eye flickered out.

After what seemed like ages, Sans was striding down the corridor that led back to the surface. Knowing there was no barrier there was also an oddity, since Gaster had often taken him there when he was a child, just to look. Now, only warm sunlight flooded the passageway. It was warm and Sans was always happy to see it.

Chara stood, blinking in the sunlight that illuminated the valley. Everything was peaceful and nearby was the sound of a blue jay.

Chara stood, thunderstruck and in awe. Frisk let them just look at the sunset, and that, in Sans' opinion, was the greatest gift anyone could receive. Chara stared at the sunlight, then slowly closed their eyes. Frisk clasped their hand tightly and Sans closed his eyes, too.

Oddly enough… it was peaceful.

Sans cracked open one eye and glanced at Chara, who didn't seem so pale and sickly anymore. It was hard to imagine them anything else. With their eyes closed, the sun on their face… they looked like a kid. Sans shook himself, his bones rattling.

"Welp… I'm goin' to Grillby's." Sans said, scratching his skull. "After this, I mean. I'll… uh… go and see if Gaster needs help with anything."

Frisk nodded, giving him a smile. Sans returned it before turning on his heel and disappearing through one of his shortcuts. That left Frisk and Chara alone, standing on a hilltop with golden flowers growing all around their feet. Chara eventually sat down. Frisk followed, leaning their head on Chara's shoulder.

"… I missed this." Chara said quietly, looking at the sun. "In my village, the sun would make all these little rainbows when it touched the snow in the winter. Then… my mom would give me chocolate and we'd watch the sunset. T-that was before she… she…"

Frisk rubbed Chara's back comfortingly and stared at the warm sun. Chara shuddered and glanced at them.

"I've done horrible things to you." Chara muttered. "I erased the one timeline in which you actually helped me, just because I… I was scared. I was a coward. Why do that?"

Frisk looked at the sun and gave a nonchalant shrug. **_In that other timeline, Sans taught me something. It was that everybody can be a good person, if they just try. Even if they don't think they can, they will. And I really think you can be._**

Chara didn't respond and instead reached down to grab Frisk's hand, squeezing it. They gave a little chuckle. "I guess… we both owe an apology to the comedian."

They watched the sunset for a few more minutes, and all the while the buttercups were sprouting around them. Soon the cliffside would be covered in golden flowers. When Frisk walked Chara back to the ruins, they looked happier. They didn't look pale and as they entered the cavern, they turned back to smile at Frisk.

"Thank you… Frisk." They mumbled, looking up toward the hole in the ceiling. "To think… a few years ago I was trying to kill you. And now all I want to do is say how sorry I am. I never thought that I'd be stuck back here, the one place I didn't want to be back." They turned to smile at Frisk. "I think… I think I can leave now."

Frisk blinked in surprise. **_Leave?_**

Chara smiled. "I was stuck here because of my hate for humanity. Then… you came along. Honestly, I never thought I'd let it go. They were the ones who trapped all the monsters; these kind, harmless monsters Underground. I hated them. But now…" Chara glanced down at their hands before shrugging and glancing at the flower patch. "Hey… say hi to mom for me. And to dad… and Asriel. And-"

 ** _I will. Will you be here for long?_**

Chara shrugged, seating themselves on the flower patch. "Well… for now, someone has to take care of these flowers." They chuckled and rubbed the back of their head. "Asriel kinda left me to it. But I'm not mad. It's… nice."

Frisk gave them a smile and waved as they stepped back into the ruins. **_Goodbye, Chara._**

"Goodbye… Frisk."

Chara glanced at the disappearing figure before sighing and lying down in the flowers. "Yeah… um... see ya. Frisk."

They glanced up at the sun and for the first time in a long while, a smile crossed their face. "See ya... Asriel."


	3. Hunted

Gaster shoved his glasses closer to his working eye, scratching his skull as he yawned and shuffled some blueprints out of the way. The lab beneath the house was warm and comfy, much like it had been in Hotland. He had sent Sans upstairs and had decided to stay downstairs for a while longer, idly sketching new concepts onto his pages.

It was nearly nine PM when his phone rang. He reached over for it and yawned, answering it with a garbled voice.

"Hello?" He said, his voice gravelly and rough. He didn't like to speak much; his voice was ruined from so long in the void. However, it was difficult to sign over the phone.

He heard tapping on the other side. It was Frisk. They were using Morse Code.

 ** _Gaster. Please come fetch me._**

"Hello, my child." He said, yawning. "Fetch you? It's nearly nine at night. Fetch you from where?"

 ** _The park._**

Gaster stood them, grabbing his large black coat from the chair. "The park? What in the world are you doing there?"

 ** _Some kids at school chased me up a tree, but I can't get down. My arm hurts._**

Gaster's hand clenched onto the phone and he stepped into the elevator, punching the number that led to the house. "Why didn't you call me sooner?" He asked, donning his jacket and fishing his house keys out of his pocket.

 ** _They stole my phone. I got it back before they got me up the tree._**

 _Stars, child_. Gaster thought as he stepped out of the lift into the cool night air. "Are they still there?"

 ** _They said they'll hurt me if I come down. I can't see them._**

Gaster shook his head as he stepped inside the house. "I shall be there shortly. Stay there."

The phone disconnected and Gaster bolted toward the kitchen, throwing open the door and grabbing his car keys.

"Whoa, G, where's the fire?"

Sans was standing in the kitchen, a bottle of ketchup in his hand. Gaster shoved his keys into his pocket, dumping the lab keys into the drawer.

 ** _Frisk is in trouble._** He signed, his magic hands appearing to comply. **_I'm going to get them._**

There was the sound of shattering glass and when Gaster looked up, he saw Sans had crushed the bottle in his hand. "What? What happened? Are they hurt? I thought they were sleeping over at Toriel's house!"

 ** _They're just having some trouble with the children at school, Sans. I am going to fetch them._**

"I'm coming too." Sans growled, dumping the remains of the ketchup in the bin. "Let's go, G. Where are they?"

 ** _The park. But Sans, you shouldn't teleport this late at night. It's dangerous-_**

Before Gaster could finish his sentence, Sans snapped his fingers and there was a bone-prickling feeling as the teleportation came into effect. Soon Gaster was tumbling over wet grass and there was a crashing noise as something large and possibly skeleton-like in nature sailed into a rubbish bin. A cat yowled nearby and streaked away as Sans groggily heaved himself up, his eye sockets flickering on and off.

"I think I'm gonna..." He trailed off and clamped a hand over his mouth before ducking back into the dustbin. Gaster sighed and got to his feet, brushing off his coat. "Sans... I thought you learned your lesson the first time."

"Heh." Sans wheezed, grabbing the side of the dustbin and heaving himself up and out of it. He landed with a loud clatter on the pavement, groaning. "I've **_bin_** warned."

"Sans." Gaster sighed as he bent down and picked him up by the hood of his jacket. "That's quite enough of that. Has it occurred to you that we'll have to walk home with an injured child?"

Sans hesitated and heaved a sigh. "Sorry, G."

"It's quite all right. I just wish you thought before you threw yourself into things."

Sans would've rolled his eyes if he could as Gaster set him down. They'd landed in an alleyway close to the park and as soon as they stepped out Sans was searching for Frisk.

"It's odd that Toriel didn't call." Gaster rumbled as they entered the park. "Frisk is out much later than normal; surely that's cause for concern?"

"I dunno... unless... they lied." Sans rubbed the back of his skull. "They've lied once to protect us... But this is just nuts. It's freezing out here."

Gaster patted Sans on the shoulder. It took little over fifteen minutes, but eventually Sans heard laughter. It sounded suspiciously... Mocking.

"Hey, where's your mommy? Oh, that's right! You don't have one!"

"Get 'em!"

Sans was now nearly running toward the noise. A lone street lamp illuminated a small group of large kids standing beneath an oak tree. They were shouting at something inside the branches, picking up rocks and chucking them.

"Monster lover!" One yelled, picking up a stone and throwing it into the tree.

"Why do you even try to fit in at class? Shouldn't you be in the basement with the rest of the freaks?!" Another one screamed, picking up yet another rock and lobbing it toward the branches.

Someone in the tree let out a small yell.

Sans stepped out into the light, hands in his pockets and his eye flaring gold and blue.

"Hey, kiddos. Ain't it a bit late to be outside?"

The children all turned and fear momentarily crossed their faces. One of them sneered. "Don't worry. It's just that freak that hangs out with Frisk."

"I'm their Dunkle. Heard of it?" Sans asked, striding forward. "Course ya haven't. See, kids, it's an honorary title. One that I plan on keeping."

"Hey, get away from us!" One boy yelled, stumbling backward. "We'll call... We'll call the cops!"

"Go ahead." Sans growled as Gaster emerged from the darkness, his eyes flaring purple. "I'm friends with the boss. She'd love to know why you were hurting her bestie."

The kids stepped back and one of them licked his lips. "Y-you can't hurt us." He stuttered, his breath frosting in the air. "You- you stay away from us!"

"Oh, I'm not gonna hurt ya." Sans mumbled as the air seemed to drop a few degrees. "I'm just wanna make sure that you understand somethin'."

A gaster blaster shook into existence, growling menacingly. Gaster stepped forward, his face warping into a terrifying smile. "I agree with my son." He rumbled, his voice crackling and snapping like an old microphone.

"Kiddos, you touch my kid again..." Sans said quietly, the gaster blaster humming. "And I'll make sure you all have **_a bad time_**."

 ** _Scram._**

There was a bout of screaming and the children ran, some of them crying. Sans snapped his fingers and the blisters disappeared. Gaster heaved a sigh and strode briskly to the tree, glancing up into the branches.

 ** _Frisk? Are you up there?_** The blue hands signed as Gaster moved around the tree.

"Kid? It's Sans." Sans called as he approached the tree. He heard someone crying.

"S-S-ans." Frisk whimpered.

"Hey, kiddo!" Sans called, glancing around frantically. "Hey, it's me. Where are you?"

More crying. Gaster looked tired and he calmly flicked his hand. His blaster materialised and blinked its enormous purple eyes.

 ** _Climb on, Sans. They appear too injured to move._**

Sans practically leapt onto the blaster as it rose. The blaster snorted and glanced up at him with a particularly… sassy look. It's glowing purple eyes illuminated the branches perfectly and it wasn't long before Sans saw someone small huddled against the branches.

"Frisk!"

Frisk looked up, sniffling. Sans nearly exploded with anger as he saw their arm hanging limply to one side and a small cut on their eyebrow. He reached forward and gently helped them onto the blaster. They were crying and Sans had a feeling their arm wasn't meant to bend that way.

"God, kiddo. What'd they do to you?"

Frisk merely shivered. Sans removed his jacket as the blaster slowly levitated downward, placing it on Frisk's shoulders. Gaster was standing, quite calmly, at the foot of the tree, hand outstretched to direct the blaster.

 ** _Careful, Sans. I think their arm is broken._**

"Oh, I'm mad." Sans growled in his throat as Frisk huddled against him. "Geez, kiddo. Don't cry. It's ok."

But Frisk wouldn't stop crying and gave hiccupping sobs. Gaster didn't cause the blaster to disappear and merely sighed heavily.

 ** _Let us go home._**

He turned and the blaster, with Sans and Frisk perched atop its head, followed. It was bitterly cold and Sans was angry. Frisk's schoolbag was nowhere in sight and the glanced up at Sans, who drew them into a very careful hug. "Shh… it's ok, kid. We won't let anythin' else happen to you." This didn't seem to convince them, however, and Sans rubbed the top of their head. "H-hey, what happens to Froggit's car when it breaks down?"

Frisk sniffled and looked up at Sans in a questioning manner, shrugging their shoulders.

"It gets **_toad_** away."

Frisk giggled a little, a small smile crossing their features before their bottom lip trembled and they glanced down at their feet, shivering and sneezing.

"Gaster, can't this thing go any faster?" Sans hissed, rubbing Frisk's shoulders.

 ** _I'm trying my best._** Gaster signed, his blue hands flickering. **_This isn't as easy as blasting someone, Sans._**

Sans ground his teeth and drew Frisk closer to him. It took a long, dragging hour before Gaster, Sans and Frisk eventually arrived at the house, Gaster stumbling a little. "You alright, G?"

 ** _Quite fine, Sans. Just a little… 'bone' tired._** Gaster chuckled a little, but managed to fish his keys out of his pocket and shakily unlock the door.

"Papyrus, we're home." He rumbled, allowing the blaster to enter first. "We have a guest."

There was a loud crashing from upstairs and all of a sudden Papyrus flew down the stairs. "GASSSTTTEERRRR!" He roared, colliding into him and sending Gaster crashing onto the carpet. Papyrus was weeping large tears and he let out a horrified yell.

"GASTER FRISK IS MISSING TORIEL JUST CALLED ME OH MY GOD I'M A TERRIBLE BEST FRIEND HOW COULD I LET THIS HAPPEN-!"

"Pap." Sans said, gently carrying a sleeping Frisk off the blaster. They moaned in their sleep, whimpering from the pain.

"-I WILL NEVER FORGIVE MYSELF IF SOMETHING HAPPENED TO THEM I'M A TERRIBLE UNCLE UNDYNE WILL KILL ME OH GOD SANS WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?!"

"Papyrus!" Sans hissed as Frisk stirred in their sleep, still bundled up in his jacket. "Shh!"

Papyrus abruptly stopped, his arms wrapped tightly around Gaster's neck. Gaster looked even more tired, half-lying on the floor whilst Papyrus had him in a tight head lock. "Papyrus… please put me down." Gaster moaned.

Papyrus didn't seem to hear and stood quickly, his arms still tightly wrapped around Gaster. "SANS… W-WHAT HAPPENED TO FRISK?" He asked, his lower jaw trembling.

"They… uh…" Sans didn't quite want to say it. It would break Papyrus' heart if he knew that Frisk was being bullied. The guy was just too nice to understand that there were some people who just… weren't.

Gaster, however, didn't seem to get this notion.

 ** _Some children at school chased them up a tree and they broke their arm. I am too tired to attempt healing magic now, Papyrus, so you and Sans must do so before I call up Toriel and an ambulance._**

Papyrus glanced down at Gaster, then toward Frisk, bright tears shining in his eye sockets. "THEY… HURT FRISK?"

"Uh…" Sans glanced down at Frisk before heaving a large sigh. "Yeah. Yeah, bro. Some mean boneheads hurt Frisk."

Papyrus didn't say anything. He hesitated for a moment before a large smile crossed his face again. "WELL, I SHALL MAKE THEM THE BEST PLATE OF SPAGHETTI IN THE WORLD! I SHALL ALSO MAKE TEA!"

Papyrus picked up Gaster, who merely sighed and allowed Papyrus to carry him into the kitchen. **_You are too precious, Papyrus. Never change._**

Sans glanced down at Frisk before heaving a sigh. "Guess we better call Toriel and tell her you're alright. Asriel's also gonna flip."

Frisk whimpered and Sans sighed. "Yeah… me too, kiddo. Me too."

"WHO HARMED MY PRECIOUS BABY?!"

Sans jumped at the robotic voice that boomed from the stairs and when he turned around he saw a flash of glitter. "Where's my Frisk?! Where's my darling?!"

"You called _Mettaton_?" Sans hissed to Papyrus as he appeared at the top of the stairs.

"I HAD TO! HE ALWAYS MAKES FRISK FEEL BETTER!" Papyrus said happily. Gaster, who had been in Papyrus' room with Frisk, stumbled out, dressed only in his jeans and work shirt.

 ** _What in the name of Asgore is going on in here? I am trying to heal what I can, and this distraction isn't-_**

"GASTER! DARLING!"

 ** _Shit._**

Mettaton blazed up the stairs in his EX form, clunking up them two at a time. His high heels snapped sharply on each step and Gaster let out a yell as Mettaton crashed into him.

"Where's my baby?!" Mettaton squealed, his voice glitching and sparks flying from his neck. "I'll _murder_ whoever touched a hair on their precious head!"

"M-M-Mettaton, p-please!" Came a timid voice from the doorway. "Y-you'll blow a f-f-fuse again."

"Alphys?" Sans asked.

The scientist poked her head inside the house, smiling timidly. "H-h-hi, Sans. I hope you d-don't mind, b-but-"

"I'M GONNA KILL THEM!" roared a voice from outside.

"Oh god no." Sans moaned, slapping his forehead in disgust.

Undyne, still in her police uniform, barrelled past Alphys, dragging her by her tail. Alphys looked quite used to this and merely bounced up the stairs as Undyne dragged her upward. Her eyes were aflame with anger and she grabbed Sans by the front of his shirt, lifting him clear off the ground.

"Who hurt them?!" Undyne screeched, her red hair a mess on her face.

"U-U-Undyne p-please." Alphys said timidly. "L-let go of m-my tail."

Undyne didn't seem to hear and shook Sans so hard his bones rattled. "WHO DID IT?!"

"UNDYNE PUT SANS DOWN! YOU KNOW HE HAS A LOW HP!" Papyrus said, reaching forward and helping Sans out of Undyne's unrelenting grip. "AND SANS TOOK CARE OF THE HUMANS, DIDN'T YOU, SANS?"

"Yeap." Sans wheezed, his head still swimming. "Won't be botherin' Frisk no more."

Undyne glanced at Mettaton, weeping large, oily tears that were also partially made of makeup. Gaster was lying on the floor, his face completely blank.

 ** _I thought this was our house, Sans. Not a social gathering._**

"Sorry, G. Hopefully there won't be any more-"

"FRISK!" Mettaton wailed, his tears staining Gaster's shirt. "Oh, my poor angel!"

 ** _Well… I suppose they will be awake by now._** Gaster signed. Then he spoke, his voice resigned. "Let us go. Perhaps you could take over at healing, Alphys. It is quite a complicated fracture."

"FRACTURE?!" Mettaton squeaked and several sparks flew out from his ear.

After finally getting up off the floor and consoling Mettaton, all of them went into Papyrus' room. Frisk was sitting upright in Papyrus' bed, still bundled up tightly in Sans' jacket. A cup of hot, golden flower tea sat on the bedside table and when the small entourage entered they glanced toward the door.

"FRISK! OH MY DARLING!" Mettaton wept, falling at the bedside. "Are you in pain? Oh, speak to me, dear!"

Frisk smiled, their face tired as they reached out to clasp Mettaton's hand. They opened their mouth and spoke, very, very slowly.

"T-T-Ton-Ton." They said, using Mettaton's pet name. Mettaton let out a sigh of relief and joy, perching himself on the bed.

"Oh, thank goodness!" He said as the rest of the crowd entered. "My poor star. Who did this to you? Tell Ton-Ton, dearie."

Frisk leaned back on the pillows, their broken arm lying next to them. It looked very painful, but the cut on their face was gone, as well as some of the bruises. Papyrus and Gaster walked to the other side of the bed whilst Undyne and Alphys placed themselves next to the bedside table.

"You alright, punk?" Undyne said, her voice oddly tender.

Frisk nodded, but there were tears in their eyes. Undyne glanced at Sans, who stood near the doorway. "Hey, how'd this happen anyways? I thought they were supposed to go home with a friend or somethin'."

Frisk winced and Sans knew immediately what had happened.

 _They had lied._

"L-Lemme s-s-see that arm, F-F-Frisk." Alphys stuttered. As Alphys examined Frisk's arm, Undyne glanced at Sans before her hand shot out and grabbed him by his arm, tugging him out the door. Sans hopped on one foot as Undyne dragged him out the door, slamming the door behind them.

"Alright. Spill." She demanded. "What happened?"

"Geez, Undyne." Sans muttered, rubbing his arm. "Whaddya mean?"

"Toriel was worried _sick_ about Frisk." Undyne crossed her arms in anger, her eye twitching underneath it's eyepatch. "She even called _Asgore_ , and you know that's unlike her. Frisk was supposed to be going to a friend's house. Instead, Toriel calls me in a panic because Frisk didn't answer their phone. Then when she called the mother of the friend, she said Frisk wasn't there. So spill. What _happened_?"

Sans blinked before glancing at the closed door. "Shoot, Undyne." He said, shrugging. "I don't even know. They called up Gaster and I just tagged along-"

"Sans, some humans aren't like Frisk." Undyne interrupted. "They make fun of what they don't understand. A human child living in a house full of monsters isn't exactly… normal." Undyne rubbed the back of her neck, sighing. "Listen, if this happens again, I'll do an investigation. For now, I'll let it drop because Frisk doesn't want this to affect anyone else. But mark my words, if something like this happens again, I _will_ make sure it won't happen _ever_ again."

Sans gave her a look. "I care about the kid as much as you. You and I both know that. It won't happen again. Gaster and I made sure of that."

Undyne blinked before shaking her head. "Alright. You should get some rest. Gaster, too. Toriel's coming over to help."

Sans shrugged. "No worries. I'll get the couch ready."

"Good. Alphys and I will get some blankets. Asgore's coming over too."

"Wait, what?"

"Sans, you're an idiot if you think we're just gonna leave Frisk defenceless!" Undyne said, clapping a heavy hand on his shoulder. "We're all staying! Now go and get some blankets; your house is _really_ cold."

"Well, it doesn't **_get under my skin._** " Sans winked and he heard a cry of distress on the other side of the door.

"SANS!"

When Frisk woke up in the wee hours of the morning, they were surrounded. Alphys was sleeping with Undyne, the both of them snuggled under blankets. Next to them, plugged into a power socket, was Mettaton, recharging. Papyrus was sleeping next to them in his bed and Sans was on the other side, one arm thrown over his eyes whilst the other was wrapped tightly around them.

Toriel was on the couch in the corner, chin on her chest and her knitting in her lap. Sleeping on top of the knitting was Asriel, who snored with his mouth open. Asgore was fast asleep on the sofa, which had been brought upstairs. There were some legwarmers on his horns.

Sleeping at the desk, glasses plastered to his face, was Gaster, who was mumbling about scientific anomalies in his sleep.

Frisk blinked and glanced down at their arm, which was in a bright blue cast. Scrawled on it were all sorts of messages, all wishing them well and in everyone's handwriting. Frisk smiled softly and glanced at their phone, which was still in their pocket.

They had new messages.

 ** _Thanks for helping us, Frisk!_**

 ** _We're so sorry you got hurt! Get well soon!_**

 ** _Frisk, if it wasn't for you, those bullies would've stuffed me in the dustbin again!_**

 ** _Dude, you're amazing! Thank you so much!_**

"What you up to, kiddo?"

Frisk glanced at Sans, who had cracked open one eye and was glancing down at them with a tired look.

Frisk typed out a message and Sans read it.

 ** _Nothing much. You?_**

"Wow. That's a really bad lie." He yawned and rubbed their head, mussing their hair. "Now… tell me what you were doin' up a tree last night."

Frisk blushed, but typed out another message.

 ** _They were picking on some monsters. I promised to walk them all home so they'd be safe. The bullies came out and chased us, but I managed to draw the attention to me instead. I told everyone to run home, then lied to mom so she wouldn't come looking for me. I thought I could talk to them and then just sleep at a friend's house. I didn't want her to get into this._**

"Instead you broke your arm, got chased up a tree and now have the flu." Sans said a little bitterly. Frisk looked down, their broken arm shaking.

"Why lie, kiddo? Toriel could've helped."

 ** _They said that if I went telling on them, they'd-_**

Frisk's hands shook. **_They'd hurt my friends even more. I couldn't tell, Sans. I just couldn't. What if they hurt you? You only have 1 HP and I'd never forgive myself if you-_**

Sans picked up the phone and set to one side. Frisk was trembling. He wrapped his arms around them and hugged them gently, heaving a sigh.

"Kiddo… that ain't how it's supposed to go. I'm your dunkle. I was bestowed the title with great honour." His voice grew haughty and Frisk managed a small giggle. "It is the most responsible thing I've ever had to do, and I don't plan on sleeping through it. Yeah, I'm a little soft, but you know that I can protect myself. Most of all, I can protect you. I want to protect you, kiddo, because you're my family now."

Frisk sniffled and looked up at Sans, signing with their good hand. **_When I was chased up the tree and you came to get me… you called me YOUR kid._**

Sans smiled and rubbed their head. "Yeah. I did. That's 'cause you are. And I sure as heck won't let anyone think any different."

Frisk sniffled and held tightly to Sans, the two of them eventually falling asleep again.

The next week, when Frisk returned to school, there were no bullies to be seen. They avoided them entirely, and even stopped picking on the monsters. When Frisk opened their locker, dozens of cards tumbled out. Each had the same message.

 ** _We love you, Frisk!_**


	4. Nightmares

_**Wow. Alright, so this suggestion was, "Why does Sans sleep so much during the day? Does he have nightmares at night? Could you write about it?"**_  
 _ **... This actually hurt to write.**_  
 _ **Enjoy...? I guess...? Sorry, Sans.**_

* * *

Frisk was quite happy to spend the weekend at Sans and Papyrus. Asriel and Asgore were spending some time together and Frisk felt as if the two deserved it. After so long of being apart, they needed some quality time.

Gaster was the one to greet Asgore, who had offered to drive Frisk from Toriel's house.

"Ah! Hello, old friend." He said happily, stooping ever so slightly so he could fit his horns through the door.

 _ **Hello, your majesty**_. Gaster signed, a smile on his face. _**It has been so long.**_

"Please, Gaster, I'm hardly a King anymore. Call me Asgore."

 _ **As you wish, your majesty**_. Gaster winked his good eye as Frisk walked in the door, dragging behind them their bag. They threw themselves into a hug with Gaster, who was dressed very casually in his jeans and shirt. _**Hello, my child. Are you well**_?

 _ **I missed you all**_. Frisk signed happily as Gaster stooped down and picked them up, settling them on his hip.

"Tori was quite strict with the instructions." Asgore said, wringing his hands ever so slightly. "No chocolate before bedtime, no late night cop shows, make sure they don't eat too much of Papyrus' food-"

 _ **Please, your majesty. Frisk has stayed with us often enough for me to know to keep them far away from Papyrus' food**_. Gaster smiled. _ **Anyways, I am sure you need to go. Sans and Papyrus are just getting back from the lab-**_

As soon as he said this, however, there was a rumble beneath the house. Asgore frowned, and Gaster heaved a heavy sigh.

 _ **Well, I should've supposed they would find all my toys sooner or later**_. Gaster scratched his temple as Asgore's face turned worriedly to Frisk.

"Uh... Toys?"

There was another rumble from the lab downstairs and Gaster frowned at the floor, Frisk giggling at his shoulder. _**Yes. Simple black matter materials that I forgot to pack away after their recent combustion. I suspect Sans is behind it. I never could keep him away from trinkets like that.**_

"T-trinkets?" Asgore muttered. "Uh... Well, I know I'm leaving Frisk in goo- Capable hands. I shall see you after the weekend, child."

 _ **Bye bye, Gorey!**_ Frisk signed as they leaned forward and gave Asgore a happy hug. Asgore chuckled and then ducked out the door.

Gaster watched him leave before swinging Frisk to sit atop his shoulders. _**Well. I suppose we should go and greet Sans and Papyrus. It will be quite a surprise when they see you.**_

Frisk giggled as Gaster strode toward the lab.

Inside the lab, there were bright plumes of blue and orange smoke. Frisk coughed and Gaster waved a hand in front of his face. _**Oh. They did find it. And it appears they are training.**_

"SANS, HELP!"

"Stop moving! It'll see you if you move!"

"SANS IT'S LOOKING AT ME!"

"Stop moving and it won't look at you!"

Gaster glanced up Frisk, sighing. _**Boys and their toys.**_

He strode through the door that led to the lab and the 'Testing Room' as he called it. It was in the testing room that the commotion was coming from.  
Sans, dressed in his lab coat and slippers, had his arm outstretched toward what looked like a monstrous, deformed gaster blaster. It wasn't like the ones Frisk had seen; a floating, dog-like skull that often hovered a few feet in the air. This one had a body. It looked like a dog's skeleton, just like the one Frisk had seen in their science book.

Papyrus was pinned under it's paw and the blaster was sniffing him as he writhed and flailed madly.

"SANS HELP ME!"

"STOP MOVING!" Sans yelled back as the blaster shook its head.

"I CAN'T IT'S TICKLING ME! CALL GASTER!"

"He'll freak out if he finds out I did this!" Sans retorted, sweat on his skull. "Just stop-"

"Sans." Gaster rumbled in his gravelly, microphone-esque voice. "I am right here."

Sans turned and a bright blue blush crept into his cheeks. "H-hey, G. And uh... Frisk?"

"They're staying with us for the weekend, Sans. It was supposed to be a pleasant surprise."

Sans blinked several times as Papyrus twisted to look at Frisk. "HUMAN! OH, I'VE MISSED YOU SO MUCH! SANS! GET YOUR PET OFF OF ME SO I CAN HUG THE HUMAN!"

"I'm trying, bro, but he won't!" Sans huffed, his eye flickering a bright blue. "Down! Get off! Roll over!"

The blaster ignored Sans completely and instead yawned, exposing a large maw of sharp teeth and a bright, blue tongue.

"Sans. Explain. Now." Gaster said as he calmly set Frisk on the floor. "Why is there a fully corporeal blaster in my lab and why did you conjure it?"  
Frisk glanced up at the massive blaster and, unnoticed by Sans or Gaster, walked toward it.

"I was tired, G." Sans huffed, trying vainly to expel the blaster whilst he met Gaster's eyes. "And Papyrus and I were training, y'know? Tryin' to get my HP up. I wasn't concentrating and that happened."

"I've told you before not to practice whilst tired!" Gaster scolded him, striding forward. "Your eye is practically burnt out! Stop this nonsense."

Sans huffed, his eye flickering. "But I-"

"HUMAN NO!"

Sans and Gaster turned and apparently that was too much effort. Sans' eye promptly flickered out and he slumped forward, fast asleep. Gaster rushed forward and caught him, staring at Frisk.

Frisk was sitting on top of the blaster's head, petting it affectionately. It had lifted its massive paw off of Papyrus and was humming happily, tongue lolling out in a wolfish grin.

"FRISK GET DOWN IT'LL EAT YOU!" Papyrus yelled, hands clasped to his head in despair. "SANS STOP IT! MAKE IT GO AWAY!"

"Sans is sleeping." Gaster said, carrying Sans as he snored. "And Frisk is in no danger... On the contrary, it appears they have placated the blaster enough for me to send it away. Get ready to catch them, Papyrus."

"RIGHT!" Papyrus said, holding out his arms as Frisk giggled and the blaster purred, it's left hind leg kicking the air madly.

Gaster's eyes flickered purple and the blaster promptly disappeared, leaving Frisk suspended in midair for a moment. Then they fell, squealing with delight and grunting as they landed in Papyrus' arms.

"I'VE CAUGHT THE HUMAN!" Papyrus said happily, bouncing on his feet. "HELLO, FRISK! HAVE YOU MISEED ME?!"

Frisk nodded and gave Papyrus a big hug, laughing as the skeleton let out his well-known cackle.

"Well... That's enough excitement for one day." Gaster said as he settled Sans comfortably, patting his spine. "Sans has burnt himself out completely. Let's go put him to bed, shall we?"

"RIGHT!" Papyrus said, placing Frisk atop his shoulders. "COME, HUMAN! I SHALL MAKE YOU SOME SPAGHETTI FOR LUNCH! MY WELCOME GIFT!"  
Frisk howled with laughter as they exited the lab.

* * *

 _ **Well, Sans is in his bed. I don't suspect we shall see him tonight, either.**_ Gaster signed as he sat on the couch next to Frisk, who was struggling through a plate of Papyrus' spaghetti.

Frisk looked up, a worried look on their face. _**Is he going to be alright?**_

 _ **No need to worry, my child. Sans is... Well, what humans would call Narcoleptic. He just falls asleep at the oddest times. I suspect it's from having such a low HP.**_

Frisk glanced around, thinking. They then looked at Gaster with a puzzled expression on their face. _**Why?**_

 _ **Why does he have such a low HP?**_ Gaster looked troubled for a moment. He scratched his head, tapping his fingers on his skull. _**Well... When he was a child, I remember him having a much higher HP. More so than Papyrus, even. It's... Practically unheard of for a monster's HP to just... Disappear like that.**_ Gaster signed and placed a consoling arm around Frisk. No matter. _**We shall get it back to normal. Then he shall be able to play with you more often**_.

Frisk didn't really care about being able to play with Sans. They were worried about him. They knew he had only 1 HP, and if he was forced to protect someone, one hit would turn him to dust. It was another reason they didn't tell Sans about their fights at school. What if one of the bullies decided to land a blow on him instead of Frisk?

Frisk shuddered and Gaster mistook it for cold. _**Let me fetch you a blanket, then we can watch some MTT tv. How does that sound?**_

Frisk nodded and glanced to the staircase, where Papyrus had just exited Sans' room.

"GASTER, I PUT THE BELLS ON HIS JACKET!" He said proudly, smiling. Frisk's eyes went wide in confusion, as did Gaster's.

 _ **His jacket? Why not his shirt?**_

"HE ALWAYS GRABS HIS JACKET! NEVER BEFORE HAS THE GREAT PAPYRUS CAUGHT HIM WITHOUT IT."

 _ **Bells?** _ Frisk questioned Gaster.

 _ **Ah yes. I forget you haven't been here when Sans burns himself out like this. Sans is a sleepwalker. We put bells on his jacket so we can hear if he's moving around. We wouldn't want him to hurt himself, now, would we?**_

"HUMAN! YOU HAVE NOT FINISHED YOUR SPAGHETTI!" Papyrus suddenly interrupted. "ARE YOU ILL?"

 _ **They are saving it for later, son.** _ Gaster lied smoothly.

"OH I AM SO PLEASED YOU LIKE IT, FRISK!" he bounced on his feet and Gaster levitated a pile of blankets toward them, dumping them on the couch.

 _ **Now. Let's watch some mindless television, shall we?**_

"I HEAR METTATON HAS A NEW PUZZLE TONIGHT!" Papyrus said as he sat on the other side of Frisk.

 _ **It's a quiz. Not a puzzle.**_ Frisk signed.

"OH HUMAN, YOU ARE CONFUSED. YOUR BRAIN IS STILL REELING FROM THE GREAT PAPYRUS' CULINARY MASTERPIECE! LOOK, THERE HE IS NOW WITH THE NEW PUZZLE!"

"Hello, ladies and gentlebeauties!" Mettaton crowed from the television. "And welcome to today's quiz show!"

"SEE?! I SHALL RETRIEVE SOME MORE TEA!" Papyrus leapt to his feet and rushed to the kitchen whilst Gaster chuckled gruffly.

Frisk, however, continued to occasionally glance at Sans' room, even whilst Papyrus insisted they build a pillow fort and Gaster managed to make a leaning tower of blankets and cushions.

The afternoon passed quickly. Sans did not emerge from his room and although Frisk worried about him, the other skeletons did not seem very concerned. It was only around supper time that Gaster glanced toward Sans' room, cupping his jaw in his palm.

 _ **I suppose we should wake him up, if only briefly to have something to eat.**_

Papyrus was about to respond when there was the light tinkling of bells. Frisk watched, slightly amused, as Sans stumbled out from his room, snoring loudly and obviously sleep walking. He didn't even seem aware he wasn't in his bed.

 _ **Papyrus, go and get your brother before he harms himself coming down those stairs.**_

"ON IT, GASTER!" Papyrus said, striding up the stairs. "COME ALONG, BROTHER! THE GREAT PAPYRUS SHALL PROTECT YOU FROM ALL HARM!"

Sans was picked up, still snoring and the bells on his jacket jingling as Papyrus brought him downstairs. Sans was shivering ever so slightly and Frisk blinked, looking at Gaster worriedly.

 _ **Ah. It's going to be one of those nights.**_ Gaster's hands signed as Papyrus seated himself at the dining room table with the others, Sans in his lap.

 _ **Why is he shaking? Is he alright?**_ Frisk signed, their hands shaking from worry.

 _ **It is quite alright, Frisk**_. Gaster signed, standing and fetching a pot of tea from the kitchen, returning shortly. _**Sans had nightmares when he was a child... If he stays with Papyrus he will be quite alright.**_

"P-Pap..." Sans suddenly whimpered. "Papy... rus..."

"I AM HERE, BROTHER!" Papyrus said consolingly. "THE GREAT PAPYRUS SHALL BE HERE TO PROTECT YOU!"

"Pap... No... No..." Sans whimpered, his bones rattling.

 _ **Papyrus, wake him up before his eye starts again**_. Gaster said, placing a tea pot in the middle of the table. _**Frisk, would you be so kind as to get us some cups?**_

Frisk hesitated before slipping down from their chair and walking to the kitchen, still bundled in a blanket.

"BROTHER, I AM HERE." Papyrus said comfortingly, gently trying to shake Sans awake. "EVERYTHING IS ALRIGHT."

"Don't hurt him... No... Paps... No..." Sans moaned as Frisk stood on a chair to reach the glasses in the top cupboard. They were shaking and they had a feeling they knew what Sans was dreaming about.

"BROTHER, I AM RIGHT HERE! THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS RIGHT HERE!" Papyrus shook Sans a little harder. "WAKE UP, BROTHER! GASTER HAS TEA AND THE HUMAN IS GETTING YOUR FAVOURITE MUG!"

Frisk's hands shook as they got the last cup from the top shelf.

"Human..." Sans moaned. His left eye flickered. "Dirty... Dirty brother killer."

Frisk dropped the mug and it shattered on their foot. The chair they were standing on wobbled dangerously and toppled over.

Gaster was quick. There was a quick snap of teleportation and suddenly Frisk was in his arms, shaking.

The noise, however, as the chair crashed to the floor, was enough to wake up Sans.

"Huh? Wha-" he muttered, blinking several times. He shook himself fully awake as Gaster glanced down at Frisk's bleeding foot.

"K-kiddo?" Sans asked as Papyrus rubbed his back comfortingly. "What happened?"

"FRISK?! ISN'T THAT RED STUFF SUPPOSED TO STAY INSIDE OF THEM, GASTER?!"

Sans and Frisk both looked down at the bleeding foot. Something changed in his expression and he pushed himself upright.

"It is only a small cut." Gaster spoke, his voice rumbling. "I'm sure even I could heal it. Papyrus, won't you go and get a band-aid? There'll be a small scratch."

Gaster gently set Frisk on the table, their foot slowly weeping blood. They were looking down, glancing out of the corner of their eyes to Sans, whom Papyrus had set on the chair.

His eye sockets were black.

"You... Alright kiddo?" He asked, yawning in between.

Frisk nodded, glancing at him as Gaster swept quickly into the kitchen to pick up the broken mug.

Sans crossed his arms, tapping his fingers on his arm. "Uh... Guess I passed out pretty quick." He glanced at Frisk, smiling a little thinly, "I think you better put me in jail, bucko."

Frisk smiled, glancing at him. _ **Why?**_

"Because I'm... Resisting-" another long yawn. " _ **A-rest**_."

Frisk giggled as Sans yawned again, his eyes lighting up normally again.

"FRISK LOOK! THE GREAT PAPYRUS HAS RETRIEVED THE BANDAGES! AND LOOK! THEY ARE THE SAME COLOUR AS YOUR FAVOURITE SWEATER!"

The bright pink and blue bandaids were placed nearby as Gaster returned, healing magic flickering between his fingertips. He healed Frisk's foot with no trouble and there was only a tiny scratch left. Sans blinked very slowly, occasionally dozing and being woken up gently by Papyrus.

"Hey Paps... Whaddya call it when you eat cookies in bed?" Sans yawned, trying to stay awake long enough to eat some leftover spaghetti.

"I DON'T KNOW, BROTHER." Papyrus said as Gaster pushed some of his spaghetti regretfully around his plate. "WHAT DO YOU CALL IT?"

"Zzz..."

"WHAT DO YOU CALL IT, SANS?" Papyrus insisted, shaking him awake.

"Huh? Oh... Ya call it... _ **Crumby sleep**_."

"GOOD ONE, BROTHER." Papyrus said, placing some more spaghetti on his plate.

Halfway through dinner, Sans fell asleep again. This was apparently normal and Papyrus picked him up as Frisk and Gaster got ready for bed.

"You can sleep with Papyrus, Frisk." Gaster rumbled deep in his throat as he placed another bandaid on Frisk's foot. "Would you like anything before bed?"

Frisk shook their head and Gaster smiled. "Alright... Papyrus, would you mind taking Sans to bed?"

 _ **Can we all sleep with Sans?**_

Gaster blinked several times, apparently confused. "My child? Whatever do you mean?"

* * *

 _"Mommy? Daddy? Can I sleep with you?"_  
 _"Frisk, there's nothing to be scared of. The nightmares won't go away if you sleep with us. Go back to your room."_  
 _"B-but-"_  
 _"Go back to your room. Your mother and I are tired."_  
 _"You heard your father; go back to your room. And not another word out of you, you hear? Remember what we told you about talking."_  
 _"B-but... Mommy-"_  
 _"No talking! Go back to your room! Don't make your father get out bed, now-"_  
 _"GO TO YOUR ROOM!"_

* * *

 _ **I heard from the kids in the village that if you slept with your family, then you wouldn't get any nightmares.** _ Frisk signed. _**I** **t was... Just an idea...**_

Gaster hesitated for a moment, then smiled broadly. "Of course. That's an excellent idea."

"THIS IS SO EXCITING! FRISK, YOU HAVE THE BEST IDEAS!" Papyrus said, Sans snoring on shoulder. "I CAN READ TO ALL OF YOU! OOH, GASTER, LET'S READ QUANTUM PHYSICS FOR JUNIORS!"

Gaster chuckled. "We could read that... Or your other favourite."

In the end, they read Pick-a-Boo with Fluffy Bunny in Papyrus' large bed. Gaster read in his rumbling tone and by the fifth page, Papyrus was fast asleep, snoring whilst Sans slept next to him. Gaster, too, soon fell asleep, the book falling from his hands and landing on the floor.

Frisk, however, sandwiched between Sans and Papyrus, remained wide awake. The minutes slipped by, but they could not, and would not sleep.

It was roundabout twelve at night when Sans began to cry in his sleep.

"No... Papyrus please... Stop it... Don't hurt him..."

Frisk turned and grabbed Sans in a hug, burying their face in his shoulder. Bright blue tears formed in his eyes and he sniffled quietly.

"S-Sans." Frisk stuttered, hugging him tightly.

"N-no..."

"Sans." They said even more firmly. Their voice had never been clearer and Sans sniffled a little in his sleep. "No one is hurting Papyrus." They said, hugging him tightly. "He's safe..."

"P-Papyrus." He muttered in his sleep. The tears had stopped. "Pap..."

He subsided.

When he began having another nightmare, Frisk would repeat the same thing. They stayed awake all night, just so that Sans wouldn't have to. By five in the morning, Sans was sleeping peacefully, after a very long night for Frisk. Gaster was the first one to wake up, blinking slowly and yawning.

He glanced over and found Frisk still staring at Sans with bloodshot eyes.

 _ **Frisk... Did you... Stay awake all night?**_

They glanced at Gaster, enormous bags under their eyes. Gaster's eyes widened and a small smile crept to his face. _**You're too precious, child. Come here. We don't have any plans for today... Besides napping.**_

Gaster pulled Sans and Frisk closer, Papyrus snoring loudly on his side of the bed. He rolls over and threw an arm over all three of them, his bones rattling.  
"GREAT PAPYRUS... SPAGHETTI..." He mumbled as Frisk's eyes drooped.

They stayed like that for the rest of the day. And during that time, neither of them moved.

Frisk had definitely been right.

When you slept with family...

The was no way nightmares could possibly touch you.


	5. This is Halloween

October came in a flurry of activity and one day Frisk rushed through the house and latched onto Toriel's leg, bouncing up and down in excitement.

"Hm?" Toriel asked, glancing down at them. "What is it, my child?"

Frisk held up a school flyer that Toriel had seen plastered around her school. It hadn't really bothered her and she perched her reading glasses on her snout, peering at it.

 ** _HALLOWEEN MOVIE NIGHT- COSTUME CONTEST_**

 ** _FIRST PRIZE- A MENTION IN THE SCHOOL MAGAZINE_**

 ** _SECOND PRIZE- GOODIE BAG_**

 ** _THIRD PRIZE- CHOCOLATE BAG_**

"Oh, yes!" Toriel said, memories flooding back. "I remember. One of the parents suggested it. Although I'm not too familiar with Halloween, they assured me it was nothing dangerous." Toriel smiled down at Frisk's face, patting their head. "Would you like to partake, my child?"

Frisk bounced ecstatically on their feet and Toriel chuckled. "Alright, then. Would you like me to help you look for a costume?"

 ** _I want to make mine._** Frisk signed, the flyer flapping in the warmth of the kitchen.

"Oh, that's even better." Toriel said, smiling and leaning on her knees with her hands. "What would you like to go as? A prince? A princess?"

 ** _I was thinking of a skeleton._**

Toriel blinked before chuckling. "Oh my. That is quite a challenge. But I suppose we could call up Papyrus and he could help you."

Frisk hugged Toriel tightly and rushed toward the phone. Toriel chuckled and turned back to baking cookies, which soon filled the house with a warm, buttery smell.

* * *

Frisk tapped out their request on the phone and Papyrus was at the door within five minutes, dragging behind him a soot-stained Gaster and a dozing Sans.

"HUMAN! I HEAR YOU WISH TO IMITATE THE GREAT PAPYRUS!" He said as he strode through the door, Sans on his back and snoring whilst Gaster entered behind him, soot staining the left side of his skull.

"Hello, Gaster!" Toriel called from the kitchen. "And hello, Sans and Papyrus."

Sans opened one eye and waved a hand in Toriel's direction. "Heyyyyyyy Tori."

Toriel giggled as Papyrus dumped Sans on the couch, where he remained, snoring.

"I've heard of this human celebration." Gaster mused in his gravelly voice, brushing some soot from his jacket. "How odd that people dress like us- it's almost ironic-"

"THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS SO PLEASED YOU HAVE CHOSEN SUCH AN HONORARY PERSON TO IMITATE, SMALL HUMAN!" Papyrus said extravagantly as Frisk giggled.

Sans cracked open his eye again and yawned. "So, kid. Why dress like a skeleton?" Sans sniggered and opened his mouth, but Papyrus lunged across the room.

"NO PUNS!" He howled, picking up Sans and shaking him hurriedly. "I HAD TO LISTEN TO THEM ALL THE WAY HERE!"

"Come now, Papyrus." Gaster said smoothly, a smile cracking his features. "People would think you... Had a bone to pick with Sans."

He barely finished before Papyrus let out a howl and dropped Sans, clapping his hands to his cheekbones. "GASTER, WHY?!"

Gaster sniggered and Sans gave a lazy thumb's up from the couch. He then returned his attention to Frisk, the bright blue hands that signed for him materialising.

 ** _Now, I suppose you wish to appear scary?_**

Frisk nodded and Papyrus scratched his jaw in a confused manner. "SCARY? SKELETONS? BUT... SANS ISN'T SCARY. LOOK AT HIM!"

Sans was snoring again with his skull thrown back and Papyrus picked him up by the hood of his jacket, lifting him clear off the ground.

"HE'S PRACTICALLY A MARSHMALLOW! DEFENCELESS AND LAZY!"

Frisk gave Sans a glower as he shrugged his shoulders. "Yeap. Lazy all day, every day."

Frisk stuck their tongue out at him, to which he returned by dropping off to sleep again.

 ** _Back to the task at hand._** Gaster signed, kneeling and scratching at his bony jaw ** _. I suppose that Papyrus could sew for you and Sans, although he doesn't look it, could create some excellent effects. I myself have created a new form of paint that glows in unusual colours..._** His eyes glowed a bright purple as he got excited. **_Oh, yes. And we could add some-_**

"Gaster!" Toriel said warningly from the kitchen, her head poking out from the doorway. "Nothing dangerous."

Gaster began to sign.

"Or that could explode."

He paused, then tried again-

"Or burst into flames, or create alternate dimensions, or throw my child into the air." She said warningly.

Gaster grumbled and folded his arms across his chest.

 ** _Not even a little?_** He asked, hands clasped together.

"NO!"

* * *

"HUAMN, COULD WE ATTEND THE COSTUME PARTY TOO?!" Papyrus asked as he looked up from cutting out a strip of white material. Frisk nodded enthusiastically and Sans, who was busy sewing, yawned widely and watched as Frisk drew a picture of what they wanted their outfit to look like.

"I can't believe she won't let me add particle disrupters to the costume!" Gaster fumed as he sat at Frisk's desk, drumming his fingers angrily on the table. "It's perfectly safe! Mostly..."

"G, it's a kid's costume." Sans said as he yanked some thread. "I doubt I'd even let you put it in the lab."

"Oh please." Gaster fumed, his jaw cupped in his hand. "I would child-proof it."

"By what? Dismantling it?" Sans sniggered as Gaster shot him a venomous look and stood, his coat billowing as he stormed to the door.

"I'm going for a cup of tea with people who understand me!" He muttered, rushing out the door and slamming it shut behind him.

Sans looked ready to say a pun, but as he began to say something, a pair of scissors sailed through the air and impaled themselves in the wall, quivering dangerously and inches from Sans' head.

"DON'T." came the warning.

Sans turned his head and glowered at Papyrus. Frisk thought this was the perfect opportunity to vacate the room. They quickly gathered their sketch pad and rushed out, hearing Sans say, "That was pretty **_sharp_** of you, bro-"

When Frisk got into the living room, where Toriel and Gaster were sitting and drinking tea, there was another loud smash.

Toriel shot a dangerous glare upward and her eyes burned.

"What are you boys doing?!" She called as Frisk plopped down next to her.

"Nothing I want to be a part of." Gaster muttered around the cup of golden flower tea. Toriel shot him a glare, then returned her gaze upward.

"Sans! You answer me right now!"

"NOTHING AT ALL, LADY ASGORE!" Papyrus screamed as there was another crash.

"If I come up there and there's a mess-"

"STOP IT WITH THE BLUE ATTACKS!" Papyrus roared and there was a loud clatter as something heavy and possibly skeletal in nature clattered against Frisk's desk.

"Aw, don't feel so **_blue_** , bro- OH GOD NO-"

Bones stuck out from the stairs and the ceiling, racing around frantically and there was the sound of someone running around in slippered feet. "PAPS PLEASE-"

"NEVER! THE GREAT PAPYRUS NEVER GIVES UP! YOUR PUNS ARE CRUDE AND AREN'T FUNNY-"

"PAPS GIVE ME BACK MY LEGS!"

"NEVER!"

Toriel had gone red under her fur and when she set her cup down it clattered angrily on the saucer. She stood and brushed off her dress. "Gaster, clear the table, please." She said in a voice of deadly calm.

Frisk's eyes widened and they wisely helped Gaster clear the table of cups and saucers as Toriel stormed up the stairs, rolling up her sleeves.

There was a brief scuffle upstairs.

"LADY TORIEL! OW!"

"Ow! Tori, that's my spine!"

"NO HORSEPLAY IN MY HOUSE!" Came Toriel's strict, cold voice.

There was a loud bang, a few yelps of surprise and Toriel reappeared, dragging behind her a legless Sans and Papyrus, who had Sans' legs clutched firmly in his arms. They both looked very shaken.

"Gaster, I believe these are yours." She said in a cold voice, hauling both skeletons up by their necks and, with little effort, tossing them to a very startled Gaster.

Skeletons don't weigh much. Frisk had even been able to pick Sans up and toss him off the couch. Toriel was stronger, as well as angry.

Gaster yelped as Papyrus and Sans crashed into him, sending him flying over the back of the table, over the couch and eventually landing behind the large sofa. Frisk hid behind Toriel's legs and giggled as Toriel patted their head affectionately.

"Would you like a cookie, my child?"

Frisk giggled again as the three skeletons groggily got to their feet, Sans blinking in confusion and Papyrus clutching Gaster in fear.

Gaster, both his skeletons in tow, forced them upstairs to go and clean the mess whilst Toriel made more tea.

Frisk, however, enjoyed some home-made cookies, sniggering wildly under their breath as Gaster returned downstairs to retrieve Sans' dislocated legs.

* * *

Halloween night approached and Frisk, dressed in their costume, bounced happily upon the shoulders of Sans whilst Gaster escorted them to the school. Sans had also dressed for the occasion, in a ratty tuxedo with a sign around his neck saying 'Sorry'.

When Frisk asked what he was, he'd sniggered and said, "A formal apology."

Gaster hadn't dressed up; he'd come directly from the lab and was still in his lab coat, leafing through a pamphlet whilst his glasses were taped to his skull. Frisk was dressed in a skeleton costume that glowed rainbow colours in the bones. Gaster had even painted their face. It glowed dramatically in the dark as they tapped a beat on the top of his skull. The streets were full of kids running with their parents, laughing and screaming as the decorations both scared and thrilled them.

"Momma! Look! Skeletons!"

Sans blinked as a horde of children suddenly swarmed he and Gaster, Frisk snickering on his shoulders. "Uh… 'sup, kiddos?"

"Wowie! Mommy, look at their costumes!" One little girl who was dressed as a robot squealed to her mother. "They look so real!"

"Uh…" Sans glanced up at Frisk, shrugging.

"Momma, that one looks like a scientist!"

Gaster blinked. He glanced at Sans, then back to the mothers. They seemed at ease, unlike how they normally looked when Gaster and Sans crossed the streets during the day. Frisk was smiling so wide that Sans thought this might be a good thing.

"Uh… yeah. Thanks." He said, nudging Gaster with his elbow. "Uh, the kid helped make 'em."

"So talented." A mother said, her child dressed as a mummy with toilet paper. "It looks so realistic."

Gaster cocked his skull to one side before giving a tentative smile. "T-Thank you?" He asked, his voice oddly quiet.

"Is that your real voice?" A girl asked. "So cool!"

Sans and Gaster glanced at each other, apparently taken aback whilst Frisk leaned backward and dangled from Sans' shoulders. One of the mothers stepped forward, a phone in hand. "Would you mind taking a picture with my son?"

"Uh, sure?"

The woman led her son forward and Sans awkwardly posed for a picture with him, as well as Gaster and Frisk. They continued to receive similar interruptions as they made their way toward the school, which was swarming with humans and monsters. All were dressed up and as they neared the school, Sans saw a familiar face.

"Hey, ain't that Mettaton?"

Indeed it was. Standing amid a few bustling parents and signing autographs, the robot was dressed in a bright blue dress that Frisk recognised.

"Ton-Ton!" They called brightly. Mettaton glanced up and his face lit up. Literally. Bright lights sparkled in his eyes and he clapped his hands to his face.

"FRISK, DARLING!" Mettaton cried, wading through the sea of admirers. "Oh, darling, you look fabulous!"

He scooped Frisk up into a hug and spun around on his high heels, planting a kiss on their cheek. "Oh, and Gaster, you look _GORGEOUS!_ "

Gaster blinked in surprise. "Uh… thank you?"

"And SANS!"

Sans flinched as Mettaton slithered his arm around him like a snake, the arm extending a few metres and snaking around Sans, pinning his arms to his sides.

"You look so _DASHING!_ I never knew you had such broad shoulders!"

"Mettaton, please." Sans muttered as Mettaton, smiling widely. Mettaton placed Frisk on his shoulder, giving an extravagant wink.

"Oh, darling, you should dress up more often." Mettaton crooned, drawing Sans closer and pressing his cheek against his skull as Sans writhed.

"Kiddo, help!" Sans wheezed as Mettaton giggled. "I'm not cut out for this kind of abuse."

Frisk squealed with laughter and Gaster sniggered into the sleeve of his jacket.

"Oh, come now, Sansy." Mettaton said in a syrupy voice as the fans around them snapped pictures. "You look so nice dressed up. It adds a little… **_meat_** to your bones."

"OH MY GOD LET ME GO." Sans kicked his feet wildly and Mettaton shrieked with laughter, setting Sans down and giving a high-five to Frisk, who was laughing so hard they were clutching their stomach. Sans, as soon as his feet hit the ground, sprinted to hide behind Gaster, glowering around his lab coat reproachfully.

"Frisk, you betrayed me." He hissed, rubbing lipstick and glitter off his cheek.

 ** _Not sorry about it at all._** Frisk snickered as Sans crossed his arms over his ribcage. The fans around Mettaton followed him into the school, Frisk atop his shoulders and the other skeletons following behind.

The school hall was decorated with enormous bats and pumpkins. There were all sorts of human games- such as dunking for apples, darts and someone had rigged up a large stand for children to shoot basketballs.

"SANS!"

"Welp, Papyrus is here." Sans said, winking an eye socket as his brother burst through the crowd. "Guess that means everyone else's here as well."

Undyne was with him as well, dressed as a witch. She even had a broom, although it was just one of her spears with a few twigs stuck to the end. Alphys was dressed as some anime character that Frisk couldn't remember the name of, and even Toriel had dressed up. True, she'd just placed a pair of cat ears between her real ears, but Frisk thought it was a good effort.

"Heya, punks!" Undyne called, taking in Frisk's costume. "Whoa. That's so SICK! Papyrus, they turned into one of you!"

"THE GREAT PAPYRUS HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN AMAZING ROLE MODEL!" Papyrus declared, dressed as a pumpkin king. He had a sceptre that he'd made from some a femur and decorated with large bats and orange paint. "WHY, LOOK AT MY COSTUME! IT IS THE VERY EPITOME OF PERFECTION!"

Sans yawned, rubbing his skull. "I'm already beat." His eyes lightened up and his permanent smile seemed to grow wider. "I'm… **_dead beat._** "

Papyrus lunged at Sans and would've gotten him if Undyne hadn't stuck out an arm and grabbed him by the back of his scarf.

"SANS, I WILL END YOU WITH A RUSTY SPORK!" He screamed as onlookers stared.

"Is it too **_spoon_** for cutlery puns?" Sans sniggered as Undyne gave him a terrible glower. Frisk was clutching Mettaton's shoulders, squealing with laughter.

"SANS!"

"If you stab me, I'll be in a **_STAB_** le condition."

"OH MY GOD LET ME GO UNDYNE I'M GOING TO KILL HIM!"

"That wasn't very **_knife_** of you, bro."

The onlookers were now howling with laughter and a man pushed through the crowd, smiling. He tugged on Frisk's costume and as Frisk leaned over, he had a pen and paper poised.

"That's one of the best costumes I've seen all night, young 'un." He said, smiling widely. "What gave you the inspiration?"

Frisk let loose another laugh and threw their arms tightly around Mettaton, looking around at their friends.

 ** _My family, of course._**


	6. Loose Tooth

"Are you alright, Frisk?"

The question was asked at the breakfast table that morning as Asriel picked at his food. Frisk was chewing oddly and, as Toriel placed another slice of toast next to their plate, pushed their food away.

 ** _I'm fine._**

"You do not feel ill, do you?" Toriel asked, wringing her hands. She still got very nervous whenever anyone got sick. Frisk shook their head and pointed to their mouth.

 ** _It's just a loose tooth. It hurts._**

Toriel blinked, then rubbed at her chin. "A loose tooth?"

"Humans get those, mom." Asriel said around his mouthful of orange juice. "Chara had one."

Toriel paused, then her eyes widened. "Oh, yes. They did mention something like that." She rubbed her eyes and cocked her head to one side. "Although... I do not remember much about it. It was whilst they were..."

Asriel looked down and a silence filled the kitchen. Frisk swallowed some juice and hopped down from their chair, hugging Toriel tightly. Toriel gave a light sniffle before patting the top of Frisk's head.

"Anyways... Will you be alright, my child? Are you in a lot of pain?"

Frisk shook their head, smiling. **_It's happened before. I just need to wait for it to come out._**

"Come out?" Asriel asked, frowning. "Why?"

Frisk frowned. **_Don't monster teeth fall out?_**

"Oh, they do," Toriel said as she began to clean the breakfast table. "But they simply disappear and new teeth pop up during the night. It's entirely painless."

 ** _Lucky_**. Frisk signed sourly before helping Toriel with the kitchen. After a moment, however, they blinked several times. **_So... Does that mean the Tooth Fairy isn't real?_**

Toriel blinked, washing the dishes. "Tooth Fairy, my child?"

Frisk looked a little despondent, but merely shook their head. **_Nothing. It was just a human thing._**

"What is it?" Asriel asked as he dumped his plate in the sink and began to clean the table.

Frisk looked slightly embarrassed and sank into their sweater ever so slightly. **_Well, my mom- other mom used to tell me that if I put my tooth under my pillow, the Tooth Fairy would come and leave a coin in its place._**

"That sounds cool." Asriel said as they finished cleaning the kitchen. "So... Like Santa?"

Frisk shrugged. **_Sorta? I guess?_**

There was a loud hoot from outside and Toriel jumped. "Oh, dear! They're early!" She hurriedly grabbed the packed lunch that she had made for the both of them, handing it to Asriel and Frisk.

"Run along now! And have fun, my children!"

"Bye, mom!" Asriel called over his shoulder as he grabbed Frisk by the wrist and bolted toward the door. Frisk waved as they burst into the sunshine, where, waiting in a bright red sport's car, sat Sans and Papyrus.

"'Sup, little goat?" Sans said, giving Asriel a high-five as he clambered into the car.

"HELLO, LITTLE ASGORE!" Papyrus said happily. "AND HELLO, FRISK!"

"Heya, kiddo." Sans said, reclining in the passenger seat of the car. Sunglasses were drawn over his eye sockets and his sneakers had replaced his pink slippers.

"Thanks for taking us, Sans." Asriel said, bouncing on his seat. "Who are the teams?"

"Well, kid, it's Team Papyrus vs Team Sans." Sans said, winking an eye socket behind his sunglasses. "The snowball fight of the century."

"I INSIST THE YOUNG ASGORE BE ON MY TEAM!" Papyrus said as he took off down the snow-driven streets. "UNDYNE AND I WILL BE UNSTOPPABLE."

"Looks like you're with me, kiddo." Sans sniggered, glancing back. Frisk had been wiggling their tooth, but gave a thumbs up. Sans frowned.

"Uh, you ok, kiddo?" Sans asked, scratching his skull.

 ** _It's just a loose tooth_**. Frisk signed. **_Who else is on our team, Sans?_**

Sans frowned again, but shrugged. "Looks like Mettaton's also joining us. Asgore as well, and Alphys. So, we'll have Mettaton and Alphys on our team, too."

"WE SHALL BE UNSTOPPABLE, YOUNG ASGORE." Papyrus said as they neared the park, covered in snow. "LEAD US TO VICTORY!"

"Yeah!" Asriel bounced on his seat and Frisk giggled.

"King Fluffybuns." Frisk whispered under their breath.

"Frisk!"

The park was covered in a thick layer of snow and, milling around in it, was everyone else. Mettaton's chassis was encased in a bright pink hoodie and half his face was obstructed by a bright pink scarf. Asgore was busy chatting to Undyne, the two of them dressed in jackets and boots whilst Alphys was chattering under a tree, her tail with a sock on the end to keep the tip warm.

"Hey, punks!" Undyne called as Papyrus parked the car and everyone got out. "Ready for some epic battle?!" She pounded her first into her hand and Asgore blinked, his ears flapping in the cold.

"Bring it on, fish fingers." Sans said, Frisk atop his shoulders.

"T-technically U-U-Undyne doesn't h-have f-f-fingers." Alphys chattered, shuffling through the snow to meet Sans. "They'd t-t-technically b-be called-"

"Oh yeah." Sans said, winking an eye socket. "You'd know all about her hands, wouldn't ya, Alphys?"

"Gah!" Alphys covered her eyes and Mettaton let out a loud, pronounced chuckle.

"Oh, Alphys, darling, calm down! He's just yanking your tail, sweetie." Mettaton turned to Frisk and smiled widely. "And how's my beautiful star today? What's happening in sweetheart land?"

Frisk was picked up by Mettaton, who gave Sans a superior smirk as they threw their arms around the robot. Sans pretended not to notice and instead glanced toward Asgore.

"You ready for this, Fluffybuns?" He asked, smiling in challenge.

"Well..." Asgore mused as Asriel stood by his side. "Asriel and I used to be quite apt at snowball fights."

"Time can change a lot of things." Sans pointed out, grinning.

"I suppose it could." Asgore said, his massive horns dipping as he cocked his head to one side. "Then again, you've been wrong before."

Sans shrugged, grinning. "Welp, let's get this show on the road."

The forts were in place. Spaced far apart, it was obvious whose fort belonged to who. Papyrus and Undyne had created a castle wall from snow, complete with a rather impressive moat. Asgore and Asriel had created a mountain of ammunition and were poised for attack, Asriel having to sit on his father's shoulders to see over the wall.

Sans hadn't done too terribly with the fort. Using magic, he created a thick, high wall with ledges to match, where they could sit comfortably behind the safety of the wall and attack without being hit. Mettaton, rather cleverly, had created portholes which they could use to see through.

Frisk had sat with Alphys, making snowballs.

"Oh CRAP!" Mettaton suddenly shrieked.

"Hey! Language, tin can!" Sans huffed, perched on the top of the wall.

"I broke a nail!" Mettaton wailed, shaking his hand and bouncing on his heels. "Alphys! Fix it! Oh god, my poor hand!"

"I c-c-can't fix it n-n-now, Mettaton." Alphys said, narrowing her eyes at him. "You'll ha-have to w-wait."

"But, ALPHYS! MY NAIL!"

Frisk strode to Mettaton and grabbed the robot's hand. Mettaton had a confused look on his face, which immediately melted when Frisk gave the broken fingernail a kiss, looking up as if waiting for a response.

 ** _All better?_**

"Oh, darling you're too sweet." Mettaton gushed, scooping up a giggling Frisk and placing kisses all over their face. "Absolutely gorgeous!"

"I feel sick." Sans grumbled, slipping down from the top of the wall. "And I don't have a stomach."

"Hey, punks!" Undyne roared from her fort. "Stop smooching and let's get-"

"You're just jealous 'cause we have your girlfriend hostage." Sans called, poking his eye socket through a window in the wall.

Undyne's face was read and she turned sharply to Asgore and Asriel. "GET THEM!"

"Undyne and Alphys, sittin' in a tree-" Sans began to chant as Mettaton and Frisk howled with laughter. Alphys squeaked and cowered, hands firmly over her eyes as if she were in a recurring nightmare.

"S-Sans, no-"

"K-I-S-S-"

A snowball about the size of Sans' skull sailed through the window and smacked him firmly in the face. The chanting stopped as Sans flew backward, rolling over and landing on his face.

"Ow." He muttered.

"VICTORY OR DEATH!" Undyne screeched.

* * *

The fight was escalating quickly. Sans was tossing snowballs with blue magic and Mettaton was holding out ammunition for Frisk. Papyrus was quite accurate and Frisk got hit a few times, screaming with joy as the cold snow got into their clothes. Sans teleported behind enemy lines and pelted them with snowballs before teleporting back again, howling with laughter as Undyne screamed in rage.

"You're dead, skeletrash!" Undyne roared, her hair wet with snow.

Asriel and Asgore were quite the pair, but Asgore was content with passing his sons the snowballs.

"UNDYNE BE CAREFUL!" Papyrus screamed as another snowball was launched from their side. "SANS ONLY HAS ONE HP!"

"Love ya, Paps." Sans called over the walls.

"I LOVE YOU TOO, BROTHER!"

Frisk grabbed a snowball and, with stunning accuracy, tossed it through a peephole. It sailed over Undyne's wall and Asgore, who had been sitting passively to one side and making a snow flower, was smacked in the cheek. He looked very confused before a massive grin touched his face. He helped Undyne scramble onto his shoulders and the warrior's face was alight with glee.

"WAR!" Undyne screamed as she threw another snowball. This one hit Mettaton.

The robot froze before looking down at his bright pink hold die. A spark flew out of his ear. "You... FISH!" He suddenly howled, grabbing a snowball. "THAT WAS CASHMERE!"

"Get 'em, Mettaton!" Sans wheezed, snickering so hard his teeth rattled. "Oh my god this is gold."

"THIS WAS MY BEST JACKET!" Mettaton screamed, his robotic hands flying. Undyne was pelted with snow and Papyrus let out an indignant "NYEH?!" As a snowball sent him flying backward.

"M-M-Mettaton, be careful!" Alphys shrieked as she ducked another snowball from the opposite wall. She ducked and cowered, her tail wrapped around her shivering form.

Mettaton grabbed more snowballs, streaking out toward the other fort. "You're dead, fish lips!"

"Bring it on, you glorified microwave!"

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!"

Mettaton was sparking from his ears and Alphys watched him worriedly, gnawing on her claws. "Oh n-n-no. Mettaton! C-c-come back!"

"Alphys, darling, I know you love her-" Mettaton screamed, slamming into the wall and beginning to tear it apart. "BUT THAT JACKET WAS WORTH MORE THAN MY CAR!"

"HELLO, METTATON!" Papyrus screamed, leaning over the wall and waving at Mettaton.

Mettaton slammed into the wall and Papyrus yelped as Undyne shoved him out the way and showered Mettaton with more snow. Mettaton screamed so loud that Sans teleported to him and forced him back into their own fort. Mettaton was still kicking and Sans threw Alphys a look.

"You need to get your robot a chill pill." He muttered before dumping Mettaton against the wall.

Frisk tugged at Sans' jacket and bounced on their feet, squealing with laughter.

Sans lifted them onto his shoulders, grinning widely. "Ready for an aerial attack, kiddo?"

Frisk squealed and grabbed snowballs, loading them in their pockets and jacket. Sans' eye flickered and Frisk was lifted into the air. "Make me proud, kid!"

Frisk screamed in laughter as Sans sent them flying into the air, darting toward the enemy base. Asriel spotted them and began trying to take them down.

"Get them, punk!" Undyne roared, picking Asriel up with one arm. Asriel looked petrified and Undyne drew back her arm.

"UNDYNE DON'T THROW THE CHILD!" Papyrus screamed before Undyne tossed Asriel forward. Frisk, who had been pelting everyone with snowballs, screamed and tried to catch their sibling.

"UNDYYYYNNNNEEEE!" Papyrus screamed as Frisk managed to barely catch Asriel. Asriel clutched Frisk as Sans tried to hold them in the air.

"I got 'em, I got 'em-" Sans huffed as Frisk and Asriel held onto each other. Then a snowball pelted him in the eye and the children fell.

"GAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Papyrus screamed as he dove forward. Frisk and Asriel landed quite safely in his arms, but he tripped and fell forward. Frisk went flying into a large snow poff, disappearing from view completely as a small avalanche covered them.

"Oh dear." Asgore said, standing and rushing over to Frisk. Mettaton and Alphys were already streaking toward them and Sans had teleported, sweat pouring down his skull.

"Oh god, oh god, oh god-" he panicked, digging out the snow poff. "KIDDO?"

"I HAVE THE SMALL GOAT!" Papyrus said, getting to his feet and holding up Asriel proudly. Asriel patted his head in thanks as Sans dug Frisk out.

"Oh, my poor little star!" Mettaton gushed as they arrived and Sans extricated a shivering, sneezing Frisk from the snow poff.

"Ah, gee, kiddo, are you ok?" Sans huffed as he shucked his jacket and wrapped it around the shivering child. Alphys was shivering wildly and she adjusted her glasses.

"F-F-Frisk?"

Frisk sneezed and they rubbed their jaw.

"You alright, punk?" Undyne said, striding toward them. "I didn't mean to throw the shrimp so hard-"

"Hey!"

Frisk placed a hand in front of their mouth and spat something out. Sans stiffened as he saw blood.

"OH MY GOD UNDYNE!" Papyrus suddenly screamed, dumping Asriel promptly on the ground. "YOU BROKE THE HUMAN!"

"Oh god, kiddo?" Sans rushed, staring at Frisk's clenched hand. They opened it and everyone stiffened. Mettaton's mouth fell open and a small scream came from Papyrus. Sitting in Frisk's hand, a little bloody and gross, was a small baby tooth.

* * *

The hospital had been quiet.

 ** _Had_** been.

Sans, Papyrus, Undyne, Alphys and Mettaton had all burst through the doors, Sans holding a very confused Frisk in his arms as he burst into the hospital, startling a nurse.

She blinked at all the monsters who were suddenly crowding in the hospital's small, neat waiting area.

"Uh… can I help you?" She enquired.

Papyrus launched himself forward, big tears streaming down his skull. "OUR FRIEND IS HURT! I BROKE THE HUMAN!"

Sans was sweating and Frisk looked up at him, trying to sign, but finding it difficult with their hands pinned to their sides in Sans' tight embrace.

"That red stuff's supposed to stay inside them." Undyne suddenly barked, pointing at Frisk's mouth. It was slightly bloody, but Asgore and Asriel came walking in a few seconds later, looking slightly irritated.

"For the last time, Sans, they're fine!" Asgore insisted as the nurse looked blankly from the skeleton to the monster king. "It's just a loose tooth!"

"I BROKE THE HUMAN! OH GOD, I'M A TERRIBLE UNCLE!"

"Uh… broke them?"

"Their… their tooth came out!" Sans stuttered, sweat pouring down his skull and holding out Frisk, as if the nurse were expected to take them like a bag of groceries. Mettaton was wringing the bottom of his jacket and Asriel merely crossed his arms over his chest, looking bored.

"Uh… their tooth?" The nurse asked, awkwardly taking Frisk and setting the child on the ground.

"Are they gonna be ok?" Undyne asked as the nurse knelt. "Are they broken?"

"I HAVE LIVED A LIFE OF SIN!" Papyrus wailed, falling to his knees and crying. "MY POOR HUMAN!"

Frisk looked at the nurse and held out their hand. The nurse took the small tooth and smiled. "Oh, would you look at that! Such a brave child." She patted Frisk on the shoulder and looked at the startled monsters. "It is quite alright. I understand why you all would be so worried. They'll be perfectly fine." The nurse took out a small tissue and wrapped the tooth up, handing it back to Frisk.

"But… but they're bleeding." Sans whispered, his fingers worrying at his temple. "That's no good, right?"

"Well, normally, no." The nurse said patiently, standing and patting Frisk on the head. "But we humans are more resilient than you would think. They'll be perfectly fine, sir. And they were so brave. Not even crying once!" She gave a light laugh. "My child wouldn't stop crying when his first tooth came out."

"F-first?" Mettaton asked, his face thunderstruck. "There'll be more?!"

The nurse blinked, then looked down at Frisk. "Why… yes, of course-"

"Tori's gonna kill me." Sans whispered, chewing on the edges of his fingers. "Are ya hurt, kiddo?" He asked worriedly, kneeling and placing a worried hand on Frisk's shoulder.

Frisk shook their head and smiled, exposing a gaping hole where their loose tooth used to be. The nurse gave a light chuckle before glancing at all the monsters. "Well, you're all very sweet, rushing in here like this. I can tell this child has a very loving family."

She patted Frisk on the head again, smiling. "Now, be a good child and put that tooth under your pillow. Then the Tooth Fairy will come and leave a coin in its place."

"Really?" Frisk asked, their eyes shining. "So… the Tooth Fairy is real?"

"Of course." The nurse winked. "Have a lovely day, dear."

Sans watched as the nurse disappeared down the hallway before he rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh… sorry about that kiddo."

"FRISK, CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME?!" Papyrus wailed, sniffing.

Frisk gave him a hug, giggling as he returned it with a small sniffle.

Toriel was waiting outside the hospital and was tapping her foot expectantly, lips pursed. Asriel and Asgore gave each other a look and she stalked toward them.

"Really, Dreemurr?!" She snapped, arms crossed over her chest. "why didn't you bring them home?!"

Asgore winced and looked very despondent as he wrung his hands. "Tori-"

"Don't you 'Tori' me." She muttered as she walked toward Frisk and picked them up. "They're freezing! And it was just a loose tooth!"

"Tell that to them!" Asgore moaned, pointing to the rest of the entourage. Alphys waved shyly at Toriel, who gave a smile back before returning her gaze to Asgore. "And you didn't think to get them out of their _wet clothes_?"

"Sorry, Tori." Sans said, holding his hands out in an apology. "I uh… overreacted a little-"

Everyone shot him a look and he tried to disappear into his turtleneck. "H-hey, Paps thought they were gonna explode."

"SANS THIS ISN'T FUNNY!" Papyrus wailed, but everyone burst into laughter and Toriel managed a small smile.

The next morning, when Frisk woke up, they found a small pile of gleaming gold coins under their pillow. They were ecstatic, and thought it was very coincidental that the tooth fairy had given them eight coins; one for each family member.


	7. The Last Bedtime

There were no words for friends who had just met. A lifelong friend who you knew so well that you could identify them by the sounds of their footsteps.

By their screams.

There were simply no words to describe how it felt.

The judgement hall was once again spattered with blood as the eight-year-old child slumped forward, impaled on a femur. Sans was sweating as he lowered his hand once again, trembling.

Frisk- no... The thing coughed up blood and slid further down the bone, breathing harshly. Sans waited for it to reset. Or continue. It didn't matter anymore. Whatever it did, he'd make sure that it was the last time. The creature whimpered like a wounded animal, the knife that had been its weapon sliding from its hand and clattering on the floor.

"Go on. Reload." He said, rolling his shoulder blades. "Let's go again."

No answer.

"Hey, get up." He said, his slippers no longer fluffy and pink. They were now clotting with rusty blood as he shuffled toward them, too tired to care. "Pest."

No answer again. Outside, a blue jay repeated the same song she had always sang in the hall. She didn't know she'd sung it a hundred times and the notes were turning sour after so long.

"Get up!" He kicked their hand, but the kid didn't respond. The blood had melded with the dust on their clothes, creating a thick paste that had crusted and started to flake. "Don't make me wait."

"Mn... S..."

The body twitched. Sans' slippers were getting wet. He shook off the blood and glowered down at the kid, who didn't even bother to look up at him. "C'mon, bucko. I'm lazy, but you're making me look pretty damn active. Get out, or get up."

Still no answer. He glanced at their HP.

0.000001.

"Oh, you're still here." He rubbed the back of his skull, then scratched his cheek bone. "Didn't dunk ya hard enough."

He raised a his hand, a femur appearing. It was sharp, like a spear. It glowed ominously as he raised it above his head.

"See ya later, kid."

He brought it down, just as they let out a small sound.

His attack stopped, just above their head.

"What's... What's that?" He hissed, his hand quivering. The bone in his hand, still sharp and dangerous, glinted.

"S... S... S..." The thing breathed, still in tremendous pain and shuddering with each breath. "So- I'm so..."

Sans took a step back. It was no longer the demon voice that sent chills down his spine. It was worse than that by a tenfold.

It was a child's voice.

"What?" He snapped, his bones rattling in anger. "What the hell, kid? It's a little too late for that now-"

"Cold..." They whispered, eyes wide open this time. They were unseeing and Sans realised that the kid wasn't even there, so to speak. "C-Chara... Gone...?"

Sans felt a cold presence on his spine, someone who was long dead and gone resurfacing. A whisper filled the air and the thing lying on the floor gave a weak, bloody smile. "Gone... They're gone..."

Sans was now feeling more disturbed than ever. He waved his hand and the bones impaling Frisk disappeared, a sickening squeal just filling the air. The blood continued to flow. He waited for them to reload. To move. To speak.

To cry.

Anything.

But the child lay there, broken and bruised. One of their arms was twisted at a horrendous angle. They'd lost a shoe. Sans waited.

"Get up, kid." Sans hissed, hands clenching into a first. "Get up and get out. Quit. Reload. I don't care. Just do something!"

"Can't..." Frisk wheezed, their broken arm shifting. He must've broken their spine as well, since it was bent oddly in the wrong direction. There was a massive cut above their left eye and it had caused the eye to swell shut completely. Blood leaked out from under the eyelid.

"And why not, huh? C'mon, you're not lazy. You proved that when you went on a killing spree."

"Player... Not back..." Frisk wheezed, their fingers twitching. "Left... For a break... Chara... Said so..."

Chara. His eye socket twitched at the name. "Oh, so you're Frisk now? Who's this 'player', huh?"

Frisk didn't answer and they coughed, blood pooling from their mouth. "Cold... So... Cold..."

Sans stepped back again, the scarf around his neck fluttering slightly. "Just reload! Damnit, don't make me wait!" His eye socket flared. "Quit!"

Frisk let out a sniffle.

It was the kind that was scared. It was the kind that was tired. It was the kind that a child would make when they hid under the bed at night, quaking from fear as a thunderstorm raged outside.

"Just reload." He ground out, every bone rattling. "Quit!"

Frisk then moved. Their body spasmed and their face turned toward Sans, exposing a red eye. He knew that eye.

"Chara."

"Hello, comedian." Chara purred, Frisk no longer in the shared body. "You look a little angry, aren't you?"

"Keep talkin', kid, and you're boned." Sans growled, his eye flickering "So, you gonna reload and we'll do this song and dance again? Or are you gonna let the kid go?"

Chara laughed. Bloody foam bubbled from their mouth and the single red eye as their chest heaved with laughter. Sans glowered at the demon before it finally coughed up some more blood, their neck cracking as they turned their face fully to Sans.

"Ha! As if I had any control in the first place. Oh, you're such a laugh. Rib-tickling! Ha!"

"Stop with the riddles, brat, and just end this now!" Sans roared, the femur reappearing in his hand. "Just leave!"

"Little Frisk wasn't lying. And they're taking a break from the pain right now. Would you like me to leave a message?" Chara purred, their fingers inching for the knife that lay a few feet away. "The player isn't back. Therefore, we have control for a short while."

"Who the hell-"

"So many timelines... So little time." Chara mused, unable to move and instead seeming content with fixing Sans with that terrifying smile. "I can see them now. Sitting so passively, unaware of what they're doing-"

"Who?!" Sans snapped, his eye feeling as if it were melting from how often he was causing it to flare up. "Who are you talking about?!"

"Ever wonder who keeps making Frisk do those puzzles?" Chara chuckled, their body heaving. "Ever wonder who keeps on resetting? Thought of that, comedian?"

Sans clenched his hands into fists. "Frisk, of cou-"

"WRONG."

Chara's voice deepened and turned into a horrendous growl. "Ha! You're so **_stupid,_** Sans." Chara raised their hand, which should've been impossible considering their injuries. "So **_stupid_** I can't believe it. I knew love, once upon a time. I knew what it felt like. And Frisk?"

Chara heaved so hard that blood trickled from both of their eyes, oozing like some foul tar. "That child loves you. So much. So much that every time they kill you, they **_want me to do it._** " Chara heaved with more laughter as Sans backed away from them, their body moving in a puppet-like manner. "They can't even kill you! They can't kill anyone! It's been me, all along!"

"Shut up!" Sans grabbed their soul and heaved them up from the ground, the blood pooling like a waterfall. "You're lying! You're lying!"

"You know it's true, Sansy." Chara heaved with laughter and the broken bones broke through the skin. Sans, disgusted, dropped them again and they landed on their back, their neck twisted at an odd angle. "Frisk has never actually killed any of you. It was never them. It was always-"

"Shut up!" Sans roared, falling to his knees. He found his hands in front of him, stained red with Frisk's blood. Or whoever it was. He bent forward, his skull pressed to the floor. It couldn't be true. He felt as if he wasn't drawing enough breath, despite not having lungs. He dug his fingers into his skull and Chara gave a wheezing sigh.

"Hurts, doesn't it?" Chara snarled, their eye shining a bloody red. Sans didn't answer, only held his skull in his hands and tried to breathe. It couldn't be true. If it was true, he had been killing a **_child_** the whole time. An **_eight-year-old child._** His fingers dug into his skull and he lifted his eyes to Chara, his left eye burning like a furnace.

"You're lying." He hissed, his voice hoarse. "You _have_ to be-"

"Frisk went through so much pain for you." Chara suddenly snarled, bones cracking as they growled. Their body jerked and Sans let out a yell as they crawled forward, fast enough to be inhuman. They were already on his legs when he found enough sense to try to scramble away.

"And you can't even find it in that cold ribcage of yours to **_BELIEVE THEM?"_**

The knife glinted in their hand as they scrambled over Sans, laughing maniacally as they slammed his skull into the ground. "Get off, brat!" He gasped as they drew him into a fight. "Get off!"

"I might as well kill you." Chara giggled, their broken body sprawled on top of his. When did they get the knife? It glinted a bloody red as they raised it above Sans' skull, their single eye rolling around wildly in their head. "The player's going to do it, anyways. Might as well get this over with. They'll reset. They'll kill everyone again. And I can't do anything about it."

Sans gasped as Chara brought the knife down into his ribcage. It missed his bones, barely, but the hilt pressed against his spine, pinning him to the ground. He hissed in pain and his eye flickered, but Chara grabbed his skull and slammed it into the blood-stained floor.

There was a cracking noise and his vision went black for a moment before he found himself staring into the red eye of Chara, who was laughing hysterically.

"I can't believe it. Your brother believed in us so much." Chara wheezed, their eye rolling maniacally. "And the player **_still_** killed him. They think I'm the monster. They're the ones who killed everyone, yet they blame me. ME?!"

Sans couldn't think and he let out a pained scream as Chara grabbed the knife and ripped it out of the ground, scraping his ribcage and sending his HP sparking. He could see it flickering.

"If I kill you… maybe they'll stop." Chara wheezed. "Maybe they'll leave us alone. Maybe they'll just quit if you're dead." Their eyes, bloodied and bruised, suddenly welled with tears. "They'll leave Frisk alone. They'll leave us all alone if you just died."

Sans tried to move, but Chara raised the knife. "Sorry, Sans… maybe the player will just be content with killing you."

Sans was breathing harshly. "Welp…" He wheezed, his eyes beginning to close. "If that makes you happy… do it." His eyes flared and he snarled. "Let me see Papyrus."

"I'll make it quick." Chara whispered, their hands shaking wildly. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Sans didn't care. "Just dust me already."

The knife glinted. Sans could've sworn that he saw Papyrus smiling. It was the same smile he'd used when trying to convince the human to change. He closed his eyes, his skull aching and his bones prickling.

But the knife never fell.

Instead, a weight sagged against his ribcage and he heard crying.

"Don't hurt him…" Came a child's voice.

"F-Frisk?" Sans asked, opening his eyes.

"They'll leave us alone, Frisk." Chara's voice cut through, the body on top of Sans shaking. "They won't-"

"Don't hurt Sans… please…" Frisk wept, their tears soaking through his blood-stained shirt. They were warm on his ribs. Frisk wheezed for breath, their body shaking. "Don't hurt anyone anymore… No more…"

"K-kiddo?"

"They'll kill him, anyways!" Chara screamed, the knife in their hands shaking wildly. "They'll kill him all over again! They'll kill mom, and Papyrus… and Mettaton… and Undyne-"

Sans moved and the kid slid off him like a lump of meat, their body shaking from cold and fear. "Just kill them, Frisk." Chara whimpered, their voice raspy. "Just do it. The player will just… they must give up sometime… please. Please!"

Sans clutched his ribcage, his skull bleeding. Frisk weakly lifted their head, looking to Sans. The red eye was gone and they flopped weakly to the floor.

Sans couldn't move. He didn't have a stomach, but something was making him feel sick. It could've been his extremely low HP, or that he just wanted to see Papyrus again-

Or… that…

He'd made a child cry.

He hesitated before dragging himself over to Frisk, holding out his hand.

"Kiddo…"

Frisk didn't respond and he took them gently by their shoulders, picking them up. Their head lolled to one side and if it hadn't been for all the blood, he could've imagined that they had fallen asleep on the couch. And he was now carrying them off to sleep.

His feet were heavy as he limped to a nearby pillar, tired… just so damn **_tired._** He slumped against it, Frisk lying across his lap.

"It wasn't you…" He whispered, brushing a stray strand of hair away from their face. Somehow the words didn't sound like lies. Frisk cracked open one bloodshot eye and their body shook.

"You cold, buddy?" Sans asked, his own tears forming.

"Sans… I'm… scared…"

"Oh god, kid." Sans whispered, shifting and removing his jacket. Frisk was so small he could cover them in the soft blue jacket.

It turned scarlet after a few seconds of being pressed against their wounds.

"I really hurt ya." Sans whispered, his bones rattling. He drew Frisk against his ribcage, burying his skull in their hair. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, oh god, I'm sorry-"

"Don't… let them win…" Frisk wheezed, his tears leaving clear trails through the blood and sweat. "Kill me… as many times as you need to."

" ** _No._** " Sans whispered, his fingers clutching them desperately. "You didn't kill Paps. They did. They killed everyone. I'll make them pay-"

"You can't… Frisk whispered, their single working eye flickering red. Chara was now lying in Sans' lap, also crying.

"You can't." They whispered. For once their voice wasn't threatening. It was sad. "We're just pixels to them. We don't exist in their world. They're the puppeteers behind a screen that not even you could breach." Chara drew a shuddering breath. "Just… kill us. They might stop. They'll get angry. Maybe… they'll reset and stop this stupid escapade."

"I **_can't._** " He hissed, his bones rattling even harder. "I can't just kill you. You and Frisk- you don't deserve this. If what you say is true, then **_they're_** the ones who should be getting judged. I should be killing them."

Chara's head rolled and they looked up at the ceiling, their blood soaking through their clothes. "This isn't the first time we've done this. And the whole time, Frisk and I- we've stuck together. Hoping… that they'll just leave us alone. Maybe they would get bored of us. But no…"

Chara turned their eye to Sans, their face twisted in pain. "They keep **_coming back. For all of you._** "

The eye died and Frisk drew a small breath. "Sans…" They glanced up, their face unfocused. "I see mom."

"No, kid-"

"Mommy?" Their one hand, the unbroken one, reached out blindly. "Mom? I'm so sorry… I didn't-"

"You didn't do anything, kid." Sans whispered, the light slowly dying from their eyes. It was so clear now. Frisk **_loved_** them all. He held them closer as they let out a small cough. "I don't… you can't just-"

"Toriel…" Frisk wheezed, their eyes unfocused and distant. "Toriel…"

"Who… who's Toriel, kid? Who is she?"

Frisk drew a shuddering breath and they heaved, bloody foam erupting from their mouth in a torrent. Every breath they drew was a death rattle.

"Who's Toriel?" Sans asked, his bones shaking. "C'm-c'mon, kid. You can't leave me hanging… I ain't laundry. Heh. Get it?"

"Door… to ruins…" Frisk wheezed. Their unfocused eyes seemed a million miles away. "Want… story… mom…?"

Realisation hit Sans like a train. He buried his face in Frisk's hair, clutching them close to his ribcage.

"H-hey. I know a story… Paps liked it…"

"Pappy…" Frisk wheezed. "Happy Pappy… One… two…"

"Heh… get comfy, kid…" Sans leaned back, his own eyes closing ever so slightly.

* * *

 ** _"_** ** _SANS! SANS!"_**

 ** _"_** ** _Heh. Yeah?"_**

 ** _"_** ** _THE HUMAN AND I WOULD LIKE A BEDTIME STORY!"_**

 ** _"_** ** _Sure thing, Paps. What you want?"_**

 ** _"_** ** _THE ONE ABOUT THE FLUFFY BUNNY!"_**

 ** _"_** ** _That old thing? Sure, if it'll make you 'pappy'."_**

 ** _"_** ** _SANS!"_**

* * *

"Once upon a time, there lived a whole family of rabbits." Sans whispered, his eyes drooping shut. "And Fluffy Bunny loved to play peek-a-boo with his little brother…"

* * *

 ** _"_** ** _Sans…"_**

 ** _"_** ** _Yeah, kiddo?"_**

 ** _"_** ** _Are you scared of a Reset?"_**

 ** _"…_** ** _naw, kid. Let's read the story, 'kay?"_**

* * *

"One day, Fluffy Bunny began to play with his brother. 'Where is my brother hiding?' he asked himself as he looked into Sammy Squirrel's tree. 'Where could my brother be?'

'I have not seen your brother, Fluffy Bunny.'

Frisk shuddered against his ribcage and he felt his own body slump forward. But he lifted his head and looked at the golden tiles of the Judgement Hall. They looked almost like flowers…

"Where could my brother be?" Sans whispered to himself.

"Rabbit…" Frisk whispered, their eyes glazing over. "Rabb… it…"

Sans closed his eyes, then took a shuddering breath.

"Fluffy Bunny looked all over for his brother. He looked in the snow. He looked in the pond. 'Have you seen my brother?' he asked the fish in the pond.

'We have not seen your brother, Fluffy Bunny.' They said. 'Where could he be?'

* * *

 ** _"_** ** _SANS, DO YOU THIINK UNDYNE WOULD LIKE THIS STORY?"_**

 ** _"_** ** _Dunno, bro. I think Frisk likes it, though."_**

 ** _"_** ** _Hehe! Go on! I wanna hear what happens next!"_**

* * *

"Fluffy Bunny looked under all the rocks and the trees. He went to Lizzy Lizard's home.

'Have you seen my brother?'

'I have not seen your brother, Fluffy Bunny.' Lizzy Lizard said. 'Go and ask the King.'

Sans couldn't breathe. He tried to draw a breath, and all he found was dust. Was this what it felt like to die?

It was… peaceful…

"Lizzy…" Frisk whispered, eyes fluttering closed.

Sans continued the story, feeling tired.

"Fluffy Bunny went to the king.

'Have you seen my brother?'

'I have seen your brother.' The king replied. 'He is playing in the snow, behind the castle.'

Fluffy Bunny looked for his br… his… bro…"

Sans' head slumped forward. He began to crumble at the edges. Frisk's eyes didn't open.

He fell sideways, his skull splitting in two. The wind gently picked up the dust that was beginning to flake off his bones, which soon began to crumble all together. Frisk fell next to him, their eyes shut as if they were asleep.

Sans closed his eyes.

 ** _"And so, the Fluffy Brother found his brother, and all his friends, and lived happily ever after. The end."_**

 ** _"Whoa..."_**

 ** _"Hey, bro, are you crying?"_**

 ** _"N-NO!"_**

 ** _"Then what's in your eyes, uncle Pappy?"_**

 ** _"TEARS!"_**

 ** _"Heh. C'mon, squirts. Let's get some sleep."_**

 ** _"...Sans...?"_**

 ** _"Uh... yeah, kid?"_**

 ** _"Goodnight."_**

Sans reached out with what was left of his hand and clasped Frisk's rapidly cooling one. The kid looked so tired... they should sleep some more.

"Goodnight... kid..."

The Judgement Hall went silent.

And outside...

The birds stopped singing.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

RESETTING…

GAME LOAD…


End file.
